The number of Colorado commits continues to blossom with the commitment of Texas linebacker transfer Liona Lefau.
Leafu committed to the Buffaloes on Thursday, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3. Lefau entered the transfer portal in December before No. 13 Texas defeated No. 18 Michigan 41-27 in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl in Orlando.
The 6-foot-1, 227-pound defender is headed to Boulder with one year of eligibility remaining, and becomes the third linebacker won by Deion Sanders and linebackers coach Andre’ Hart in this portal cycle.
Leafu, a former-star recruit of Kahuku, Hawaii, collected 138 career tackles, three sacks, five pass deflections, one fumble recovery and one interception in three seasons at Texas. He’s the second portal win out of the SEC for Colorado, along with former Missouri offensive tackle Jayven Richardson.
Colorado finished dead last among Big 12 defenses in 2025 under Robert Livingston, hired by Sanders before the 2024 season. The addition of Leafu is a solid step forward for a defense that allowed 200-plus yards per game through the air and on the ground.
For Leafu, who is positioning himself for the NFL Draft, Colorado is a place where he can count on starting in a room that has so much room for improvement this year. There’ll be plenty of scouts and media eyeing Sanders in his fourth season anyway, and his stock will only rise higher should the Buffs clear a low bar of 3-9 next season.
