Deion Sanders and Colorado got their transfer portal season underway on the defensive side of the ball Monday by landing a commitment from former Alabama defensive tackle Jehiem Oatis.

Oatis comes from the SEC and played a lot of football for Alabama under Nick Saban before a plethora of injuries to his shoulder, knee and ankle caused his role to shrink under Kalen DeBoer in 2024. The Columbia, Mississippi native started 10 games as a freshman in 2022, making 29 total tackles with two tackles for loss and a sack.

In 2023, Oatis only started three games for the Crimson Tide but still was a key piece for an Alabama defensive line rotation that helped carry it to the College Football Playoff. In 13 appearances, Oatis made 25 stops with a half-sack and two pass breakups. He redshirted in 2024 after appearing in four games at the beginning of the season.

Oatis was a four-star recruit in the class of 2022 according to Rivals and was ranked as the 99th-best prospect in the nation in high school. He chose Alabama over offers from nearly all of the SEC powers: Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia and Tennessee. Rivals rates him as a high three-star transfer and the No. 59 overall player in the portal. He is the No. 4-ranked defensive lineman that is looking for a new home this winter.

The 6-foot-5, 320 pound space-eater in the middle is Colorado’s second portal addition of the week after the Buffs made a move to bolster the offensive line Sunday night. Former Louisiana-Monroe interior offensive lineman Carter Miller announced his commitment to Colorado after making 20 starts over the last two seasons at guard and center.

Oatis joins a Colorado defensive line that is losing defensive tackles Shane Cokes and Chidozie Nwankwo to graduation in the middle, so Sanders and his staff are already on the hunt for big bodies who can make an immediate impact. Oatis, who will have two years of eligibility remaining as a redshirt junior, will surely compete for some of those snaps up front.