Deion Sanders, Colorado Land USF Safety Tawfiq Byard in Transfer Portal Amid LSU Buzz

Former USF safety Tawfiq Byard committed to Colorado on Tuesday, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.com.

Byard is coming off a breakout sophomore season with the Bulls and still has three years of eligibility remaining.

He previously visited Colorado and met with head coach Deion Sanders on Friday, per SI.com's Zack Nagy. Byard also visited Virginia Tech, LSU and Vanderbilt before making his commitment decision.

He confirmed the transfer decision in a post on X.

Byard revealed that the Buffaloes' coaching staff, including defensive coordinator Rob Livingston, influenced his final choice.

"The defensive coordinator Rob Livingston we speak the same language," Byard said, via Steve Wiltfong of On3.com. "He's an NFL guy who coached a lot of good safeties. Also the staff Coach Prime hired. They make you feel welcomed and loved. To the academic people to Coach Prime himself everyone was welcoming!"

In 12 appearances with USF during the 2024 season, he racked up 54 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception.

He's also the brother of Chicago Bears safety Kevin Byard.

The younger Byard should immediately contribute to a Buffaloes secondary that exceeded expectations in 2024 despite dealing with some inconsistency down the stretch of the season. Colorado finished with the sixth-best pass defense in the Big 12.

While Sanders' program hasn't been as active in the transfer portal compared to the end of his first season in Boulder, the Buffaloes' 2025 transfer class still ranks No. 14 in the country (via 247Sports).

Byard, Carter Stoutmire and Savion Riley are expected to compete for Colorado's starting safety positions next season.