Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes continue to overhaul the defensive line, most recently by adding coveted Maine transfer Khairi Manns to the team’s edge rusher rotation.
Louie Luggage 🦬 #SkoBuffs pic.twitter.com/x2POqKkPzl
— Ky (@KhairiManns) May 22, 2023
Throughout the 2022 season and into the spring, it was clearly apparent that the defensive line was the team’s most glaring roster hole, and ever since, Coach Prime and the rest of the staff have poured a mountain of resources into shoring up that position group. Since the spring game, the Colorado Buffaloes have added five transfer portal players to just their edge-rushing group.
Colorado Edge transfers this offseason 👀
Jordan Domineck – Arkansas
Derrick McLendon – Florida State
Sav’ell Smalls – Washington
Arden Walker – Mizzou
Taijh Alston – West Virginia
JJ Hawkins – Ole Miss
Khairi Manns – Maine pic.twitter.com/ZBwPbPol97— Barstool Colorado (@CUBarstool) May 22, 2023
Manns should immediately contribute to what has suddenly become a stacked rotation, as both a pass-rusher and as run-stopper.
In 2022, Manns tallied three sacks and a forced fumble for the Black Bears, and will look to continue to build on that production in Boulder.
Now, that production might not wow you, but the Buffaloes had just one player tally more than a single sack in 2022, and even then, that player ended the season with 2.5. The fact they’ve managed to add several players that managed to record multiple sacks last season is a tremendous boon for the program.
Manns also represents a win for the program because he nearly chose the University of Kansas instead, before landing with the Colorado Buffaloes.
Manns has been familiar with Kansas’ staff since they were at the University of Buffaloe, visiting and recruiting Manns’ high school program in New York. Given that familiarity, and how many defensive ends the Buffs have already added, it was reasonable to expect him to land in Topeka.
Somehow, Coach Prime managed to pull it off, and as a result, the much-improved CU defensive line looks even better.