Deion Sanders has made Colorado the place to be. The Buffs’ highly-ranked transfer class added another potential difference-maker this week.

Former Kentucky running back Kavosiey Smoke announced his pledge to the Buffs on Twitter. A 5-foot-9 back from Alabama, Smoke signed with the Wildcats out of the 2018 class and, after an initial redshirt year, appeared in 44 of a possible 47 games over his final four seasons with the program.

He’ll have one year of eligibility at Colorado.

Over five seasons with the Wildcats, Smoke carried the ball 291 times for 1,583 yards and 13 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry — an average that ranks top-10 in school history.

With UK’s starter serving a four-game suspension to open the 2022 season, Smoke saw his role expand. He carried the ball 14 times for 80 yards in Kentucky’s 26-16 win at Florida, 18 times for 66 yards and a score against Youngstown State, and then 12 times for 85 yards against Northern Illinois.

But once Rodriguez returned, Smoke faded. He received only seven carries (for 14 yards) over Kentucky’s final eight games of the year.

Smoke joins a transfer class at Colorado that now features 21 players. Coach Prime promised to immediately overhaul the roster, and he’s done exactly that. Smoke is the first transfer running back to pledge to CU, though not the only newcomer to the backfield from the 2023 class overall. The Buffs also signed 4-star Kansas tailback Dylan Edwards last month.

At the position, CU is expected to return senior Deion Smith, junior Jayle Stacks, sophomore Anthony Hankerson, and redshirt freshman Victor Venn. Smith led the team in rushing last season, but no one topped 400 yards on the ground so the offseason battle should be wide-open.