Colorado pass rusher Taje McCoy transferring to Oklahoma State
Colorado pass rusher Taje McCoy transferring to Oklahoma State
Colorado will meet a familiar face next season with edge rusher Taje McCoy expected to transfer to Big 12 Conference foe Oklahoma State, according to Matt Zenitz of 247 Sports.
In his first year of full-time action, McCoy racked up 23 tackles and four sacks last season. The 6-foot-3 pass rusher introduced himself to Buffaloes' fans in week five, where he recorded two sacks in Colorado's blowout win over UCF.
The Oklahoma native anchored the Buffaloes special teams appearing in all 13 games and playing the ninth most snaps of any special team player. His efforts earned him a Second Team Special Teams selection from College Football News. McCoy was also an All-Big 12 Coaches Honorable Mention Defensive Newcomer of the Year.
McCoy was a part of a Buffaloes' defensive line which led the Big 12 in sacks with 39. Coming out of high school, McCoy was a 3-star rated prospect by 247 Sports and will return to his home state as a Cowboy.
The loss is another hit to a Buffaloes' defensive line already losing their top sack producer BJ Green to the NFL, but Colorado still has plenty of talented pieces that can fill the void left by Green, McCoy and others.
Senior defensive end Arden Walker is expected to take another leap after his breakout season in 2024. Walker totaled 4.5 sacks with 33 total tackles and was Colorado's second-highest-rated edge player by Pro Football Focus.
In addition to Walker, Keaton Wade and Samuel Okunlola will need to step into larger roles next season if the Buffaloes want to maintain their dominant pass rush from last season. Okunlola was in a starting role for most of last season but only totaled three sacks and eight quarterback hurries.
The pass rush depth will be on full display at Colorado's spring game, which kicks off Saturday at 2:00 p.m. MT and will air live on ESPN2.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
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