Top 5 players Deion Sanders could target in final hours of Spring transfer portal window ft. Peny Boone

When the spring transfer portal opened on April 16, Colorado's Deion Sanders was one of the coaches in college football who admitted to being excited about it.

The Colorado Buffaloes have since seen an exodus that's reminiscent of Sander's first season in charge, with the talented cornerback Cormani McClain at the head of that train.

Colorado is expected to target linebackers, offensive linemen and running backs, and Coach Prime's sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders have been helping in recruitment.

So, which are the five players that the Buffs could target to bring to celebrity-ridden Boulder during the closing hours of the spring portal?

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#5 Andrew Chamblee

Former Arkansas Razorbacks offensive tackle Andrew Chamblee was a four-star recruit and the No. 2 player in the state of Arkansas. He was named to the All-SEC Freshman team last season after playing 405 snaps last season.

Arkansas coach Sam Pittman made an unusual statement about Chamblee a few weeks ago after he left the program.

“Andrew Chamblee just lost the love for the game and decided to start his professional, you know, start his college as a regular student career,” Pittman said.

The rules of the SEC prevent him from transferring within the conference, so he could fill a need for the Buffs and Deion Sanders. He was reportedly in Boulder for a visit during Colorado's spring game.

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#4 Terrance Brooks

Texas Longhorns cornerback Terrance Brooks recently entered the transfer portal, leaving coach Steve Sarkisian's team, where he was a starter. With the loss of Cormani McClain, Deion Sanders might opt for the highly rated CB.

He tallied six pass breakups, 20 tackles and three interceptions during a season where the Longhorns reached the college football playoffs and earned Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors.

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#3 Jason Zandamela

USC Trojans interior offensive lineman Jason Zandamela is considered one of the top prospects available in the transfer portal, and given Colorado's issues protecting quarterback Shedeur Sanders last season, he should top the list of targeted players.

He was USC's top commit in 2024 coming out of high school as a four-star prospect and was named an Under Armour All-American while being ranked No. 118 among the class of 2024 by On3.

During a recent news conference, USC coach Lincoln Riley dismissed Zandamela's importance to the Trojans in the immediate future.

“Jason wasn’t a factor to play this year for us,” Riley said. “A good young player, but it’s, a long ways away from being ready to help us. So, yeah, we’ll certainly be looking into the portal, that hopefully – and we will – replace that spot, and off we go."

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#2 Elijah Herring

Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Elijah Herring recently entered the transfer portal and visited the Colorado Buffaloes. He had 80 tackles in 11 games for the Volunteers, mainly as a stand-in for starter Keenan Pili.

After visiting Deion Sanders and the Buffs, he praised the setup in Boulder in an interview with On3.

“Experiencing Colorado was a great time. Coach Prime had a great staff around him. Bunch of family," Herring said.

“Everybody knew each other from years past. Just shows how connected everybody was. How the chemistry was. The culture, a bunch of smiles, bunch of laughs and just how they got to work when it was time to grind.”

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#1 Peny Boone

Running back Peny Boone has had an eventful few weeks after entering the transfer portal from the Toledo Rockets and opting to join the Louisville Cardinals. He stayed with the Cardinals for a few weeks before re-entering the transfer portal.

While the Kentucky Wildcats were the favorites to land him, he couldn't transfer enough credits to make the move possible and is still in search of a new program to join.

Given Colorado's light running back options, Peny Boone, who is considered the top prospect in the transfer portal would be a must-have for Deion Sanders and his revamped roster, as he was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2023.

Peny Boone is a veteran, having played two seasons for the Maryland Terrapins before joining Toledo. He's exactly the type of player targeted by Deion Sanders who has declared that he values experienced players from the transfer portal.