Colorado football flips Baylor defensive tackle from SEC program

Colorado football signed five players from the transfer portal on Saturday, with one of them immediately filling a need on the defensive line.

Baylor transfer defensive lineman Samu Taumanupepe flipped his commitment from Florida to Colorado. At 6-foot-3, 375 pounds, Taumanupepe significantly upgrades the Buffaloes nose tackle position. 247Sports rates him as a three-star recruit and the No. 108 defensive lineman in the portal.

Taumanupepe finished the 2025 season with two total tackles across 7 games. Before Baylor, he spent two seasons at Texas A&M, recording 6 total tackles. He now comes to Colorado with hopes of shoring up the Buffaloes’ abysmal run defense.

Taumanupepe is CU’s 13th defensive line addition, showing head coach Deion Sanders’ clear commitment toward improving one of college football’s worst offenses.

Stealing Taumanupepe away from an SEC program is a big win for Colorado, especially considering the likely impact he will have on the 2026 defense.

Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.