Colorado continues to add players from the portal with its fourth 2025 transfer, tight end Zach Atkins from Northwest Missouri State, joining the group Tuesday.

Atkins received well over a dozen offers after he entered the portal Nov. 19 from notable programs such as LSU, Arkansas, Pitt, Ole Miss, Cal, West Virginia, South Carolina and others. Ultimately, the 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore decided to take his tight end talents with two years of eligibility remaining to a program that is in desperate need of a well-rounded tight end.

In nine games this season, Atkins recorded 18 catches for 179 yards and three touchdowns.

During the 2024 season, defensive end-turned tight end Sav’ell Smalls served as the starting tight end. For head coach Deion Sanders, the tight end role in Colorado’s scheme was there to block first and receive second. Smalls did an adequate job helping create gaps for running backs and recorded eight catches for 66 yards throughout the year.

Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur favored his 10-personnel sets, which limited the run game in some instances. With Atkins' receiving and blocking abilities, it will be interesting to see next year how Shurmur and Sanders will incorporate the tight end either more in the receiving area or in 11-personnel to help create holes for Buffs' running backs.

Atkins joins defensive tackle Jeheim Oatis (Alabama) and center Carter Miller (Louisiana-Monroe) in the Buffs 2025 transfer class, and the Buffs are not done picking up players from the portal judging from Sanders comments during his press conference Tuesday.

“We never stopped recruiting, so I haven't left doing that,” Sanders said. “We have some wonderful, phenomenal young men up here that we want to join this magnificent team. I think we've secured commitments from darn near everybody. They probably had not committed yet, but I know what I know. They're going to help us in tremendous positions and the quality of the young men we're getting are phenomenal."