Former Texas OL Payton Kirkland transfers to Colorado

On3's Hayes Fawcett reported on April 21 that former Texas football redshirt freshman transfer offensive lineman Payton Kirkland has committed to the Colorado Buffaloes. He has all four years of eligibility remaining at his next stop in Boulder, CO.

He had originally announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal on April 15.

Ex-Texas football transfer OL Payton Kirkland commits to Colorado

Kirkland didn't see any live-game action with the Longhorns during his true freshman campaign in 2023. The big 6-foot-6 and 350-pound Kirkland was one of five offensive linemen who signed with head coach Kyle Flood and the Longhorns in the 2023 class.

Texas's 2023 signing class ranked in the top three nationally in the 247Sports Composite.

Kirkland had a whopping 53 offers as a three-star offensive line recruit from Orlando (FL) Dr. Phillips High School. He ranked as the No. 558 prospect nationally in the 2023 class in the 247Sports Composite, No. 47 interior offensive lineman, and No. 97 from Florida.

He committed to Texas over offers from other top schools like the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, and Michigan State Spartans.

Kirkland joins 28 other players who have transferred to Colorado amid another offseason of heavy roster attrition for head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs. While Colorado has added nearly 30 transfers this offseason, they've also lost nearly three-dozen players to the portal since last fall.

Texas below the scholarship limit after the spring game on April 20

Texas has lost four players to the transfer portal since the spring window opened on April 16. The other three portal departures for the Longhorns this spring are redshirt sophomore edge rusher J'Mond Tapp, sophomore defensive tackle Zac Swanson, and redshirt freshman edge rusher Billy Walton.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns entered the spring a few players over the scholarship limit of 85. Five departures over the last couple of weeks among scholarship players on the roster for the Longhorns has brought them down to 84 at the conclusion of spring camp on April 20.

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