Colorado adds two from transfer portal

BOULDER — Two more Buffs joined the herd on Monday.

Running back Ramon Jefferson and offensive tackle Alex Harkey announced on Twitter that they plan to join the Colorado Buffaloes on Monday. Jefferson is in his final year of eligibility, while Harkey has three years remaining.

https://twitter.com/Jefferson1Ramon/status/1488207486532345858?s=20&t=RDcbgBiMDkqqZUu2fXii4w

I came to Boulder scared of leaving texas, coming back to Texas I found my new home as a buffalo 🦬 @KyleDeVan68 @k_dorrell @JohnEstes55 @Coach_T_Rocco @CoachSultz @AustinJamesXFL @BradyDavis10 @coachgordon1 @TJCFOOTBALL @CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/4xbVuuRtzb

— Alex Harkey (@AlexHarkey) January 31, 2022

Colorado is the fourth stop since high school for Jefferson. He grew up in the Bronx and spent his freshman season at Maine, where he ran for over 1,000 yards on his way to an FCS Freshman All-America nod. His team made the national semifinal after missing the playoffs for four consecutive seasons.

He spent his sophomore season at Garden City Junior College before moving on to FCS powerhouse Sam Houston State. He played for the Bearkats for two seasons, winning a national championship and earning All-America honors. He was sixth in total rushing in 2020 and fifth in 2021. He was seventh in yards per carry in 2021, after running for nearly 1,200 yards.

Jefferson will compete for the starting job at Colorado with senior Alex Fontenot and junior Deion Smith. Sophomore Jayle Stacks and freshman Victor Venn are also on scholarship for 2022 and could find their way into the competition. CU could also opt to add another running back.

CU landed RB Ramon Jefferson from the transfer portal this morning. He’s been a force at the FCS level.

Jefferson is the fifth scholarship RB on the roster (Fontenot, Smith, Stacks, Venn) so he figures to be an important piece.

Highlight thread ⬇️

pic.twitter.com/rKmch4ZIv4

— Henry Chisholm (@HenryChisholm) January 31, 2022

Harkey played his lone season of college ball at Tyler Junior College in Texas. He’s a Texas native who needed to clean up his academics before joining a Division I program.

At 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, Harkey has a chance to compete for a starting job immediately. Junior Frank Fillip and sophomore Jake Wiley are penciled into the starting lineup as of now, but neither is a lock to be part of the starting five when the season roles around. Fillip likely has a stronger grip on his job.

The Buffs have other young tackles who could be ready to compete—and Alabama transfer Tommy Brown played tackle initially before moving to the interior with the Crimson Tide—but don’t be surprised if CU adds another veteran to the competition.