Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes had a very busy and productive Saturday.
Bolstering their lines, cornerback and running back rooms, the Buffs added five more transfer commits, landing offensive lineman Leon Bell (formerly of California); defensive tackle Samu Taumanupepe (Baylor); running back Richard Young (Alabama); and cornerbacks Paul Omodia (Lamar) and Jason Stokes (Utah).
The Buffs have now added 41 transfers since Jan. 3, unofficially filling 77 scholarship spots for the 2026 season.
The 6-foot-8, 330-pound Bell is the fourth transfer addition with starting experience at tackle. Playing in 10 games with eight starts this past season at Cal, Bell played 583 snaps, all at right tackle. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed three sacks and 20 quarterback pressures.
Bell began his career with two seasons (2021-22) at Kilgore Community College, earning first-team All-SWJCFC honors in 2022. He then played the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Mississippi State, playing 66 total snaps while making one start at right tackle.
Taumanupepe, a 6-foot-3, 376-pound defensive tackle with two years of eligibility remaining, committed to Florida on Thursday but flipped to the Buffs on Saturday. He is the eighth defensive line addition of the offseason, including the seventh transfer.
This past season, he played 27 snaps for Baylor, recording two tackles and a pass breakup. He played his first two seasons at Texas A&M, redshirting in 2023 and appearing in three games overall. He had six tackles in 20 snaps in 2024.
Omodia was second-team All-Southland Conference this season at Lamar, recording 57 tackles, one sack, 13 pass breakups and one fumble recovery. He tied for fourth nationally in the FCS in pass breakups.
Listed at 6-2, 198 pounds, Omodia has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He began his career at Illinois State, redshirting in 2023 and playing 12 games in 2024, posting 32 tackles, two interceptions and a pass breakup.
Stokes was a three-star recruit in the 2025 class and had 21 scholarship offers coming out of Weiss (Texas) High School. Listed at 6-2, 184 pounds, he played in all 12 games as a true freshman this past season, mostly on special teams.
With Omodia and Stokes on board, the Buffs have added five cornerback transfers.
Young played the past three seasons at Alabama, rushing for 234 yards and five touchdowns on 59 carries. A 5-11, 212-pounder with two seasons of eligibility remaining, he had 64 yards and two scores on 23 carries this past season.
A four-star recruit in the 2023 class out of Lehigh Senior (Florida) High School, Young had 59 scholarship offers, per 247Sports.com. He took official visits to Georgia, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Oregon before signing with Alabama.
Young is the third transfer running back signed by the Buffs.
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