Who is Teon Parks? The Colorado Buffaloes' latest commit from Illinois State

Colorado secured the commitment of cornerback Teon Parks following the conclusion of its spring game on Saturday. The Buffaloes hosted the Illinois State cornerback in Boulder during the weekend and were able to secure his signature before leaving.

The Buffaloes beat the competition from a host of Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC reportedly aiming to lure him to their program. Parks come as a major addition for Deion Sanders in the spring portal amid the loss of a host of key players. Here's a look at the profile of the cornerback.

Who is Teon Parks?

Teon Parks is a 6-foot-1 cornerback born on April 15, 2005, in Detroit, Michigan. He started his football career at Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit, where he was rated a three-star prospect. He committed to the Illinois State Redbirds as a member of the class of 2023.

From his freshman season, Parks has been actively involved with the Redbirds, appearing in eight games during the 2023 college football season. Most of his snaps came on the special teams. He was able to utilize the opportunity to show his potential to his coaches.

Parks earned a starting cornerback role in his sophomore season in 2024 and soon established himself as one of the top talents in the position in the Football Championship Subdivision. His superb athleticism and confidence level on the field caught a lot of attention.

Parks hauled 45 tackles, 11 pass breakups, one forced fumble and an interception during the 2024 season as the Redbirds finished with a 10-4 record, securing a playoff spot. Opposing quarterbacks completed less than 40% of their passes when he was the target.

A great acquisition for Colorado

The addition of Teon Parks by Colorado in the spring transfer portal comes as a great one for the program. The cornerback provides the needed depth in the defensive backfield, where the Buffaloes have lost some players. He has two years of college eligibility left.

While the Buffaloes boast players like DJ McKinney, RJ Johnson, Colton Hood and Preston Hodge in their cornerback room, they are out to get some experienced players on the portal. Parks ticks this box following his solid two-year experience at Illinois State.

Teon Parks is the third Colorado player Colorado has acquired so far in the spring transfer portal. He joins wide receiver Sincere Brown and offensive lineman Xavier Hill as the new addition in the current spring window.