Hayden is now the fourth commitment of the last two days for the Buffaloes, joining Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Payton Kirkland, and Pittsburgh and Ohio defensive linemen Dayon Hayes and Rayyoan Buelle.
He will also reunite with former Buckeyes tight end Sam Hart in Boulder.
Injuries held up Hayden a season ago, as he recorded just 19 carries for 110 yards, before the Buckeyes redshirted him. In the 2022 season, however, he had 576 scrimmage yards, including three games rushing for over 100. The Memphis native’s career-defining game with Ohio State was a 13-point win in College Park, Maryland, where he posted 27 carries for 146 yards and three touchdowns.
Colorado has already seen a myriad of players enter the spring portal, including junior running back Alton McCaskill, the fourth-leading rusher for the Buffaloes a season ago. The Buffs were only returning sophomore Dylan Edwards and junior Sy’veon Wilkerson, with junior Anthony Hankerson left for Oregon State and former senior Kavosiey Smoke graduating from the program.
In total since November of last season Colorado has seen 34 players leave via the portal, as well as 29 come to Boulder.
With Hayden now committed to Deion Sanders, and assuming he stays healthy he will have a real opportunity to get himself involved in a rotation that will benefit from his Power 5 experience
