Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo opens up on decision to join Coach Prime’s Buffs

Former Houston defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo talked about why he transferred to Colorado

Colorado has been active in the transfer portal this offseason, and one of the more underrated additions is Chidozie Nwankwo, a former Houston defensive tackle who recently committed to the Buffs.

Nwankwo is ready to step in and help CU’s defense, a unit that also picked up Florida State transfer linebacker DJ Lundy on Monday.

Nwankwo admitted that Colorado’s inclusive atmosphere is a big reason why he’s on board with what head coach Deion Sanders is building (h/t Brian Howell of BuffZone).

“They treat me like family, man; like my own,” Nwankwo told BuffZone. “What more can you ask for, you know? That’s my main reason why I want to play for Colorado. And, then the connections outside of that, the connections that I can gain. That’s really what I’m most excited about. And, playing with the players on the team that has the same aspirations as me.”

On top of that, the opportunity to play and be coached by NFL legend Warren Sapp, who appears likely to officially join Colorado’s coaching staff soon, was another major selling point.

“It played a big role,” Nwankwo told BuffZone regarding Sapp. “Once I had seen on social media and stuff like that, that he might be a coach… I was more than excited, man. I was hyped about it.”

The Buffs are continuously hitting the portal and adding talent to their roster, and Nwankwo should play a big role on defense next season.

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Colorado beefs up D-line with commitment from Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo

Multi-year starting nose guard Chidozie Nwankwo gave his commitment to Colorado

Colorado’s quick rebuild of its offensive and defensive lines continued on Monday as head coach Deion Sanders landed a commitment from Houston transfer Chidozie Nwankwo.

Nwankwo, who chose the Buffs over Missouri, was a multi-year starting nose guard for the Cougars. This past season, the 5-foot-11, 295-pound Texas product totaled 25 tackles, five TFLs, one sack and a blocked kick.

A three-star prospect coming out of high school, Nwankwo started in six games as a true freshman in 2020 and remained a mainstay on Houston’s D-line the following three seasons.

Coach Prime’s Buffs still own 15 incoming transfers after losing former Indiana offensive lineman Matthew Bedford to Oregon on Monday.

Here’s how social media reacted to Nwankwo’s commitment:

2023 NFL Draft: 15 players to watch during the Houston vs. UTSA matchup

Fifteen 2023 NFL Draft prospects for the Philadelphia Eagles to watch during the Houston vs. UTSA matchup

The 2022-23 college football season is upon, and with the NFL season a little under a week away, the intertwining of draft talk and prospect watching will now commence.

Philadelphia has a ton of NFL draft assets for 2023 and 2024.

With Howie Roseman looking to inject even more youth into a talented roster, this college football season will provide the best overall group of talent to enter the league in years.

There are plenty of opening weekend matchups to watch, and one intriguing showcase will pit the Houston Cougars against the UTSA Roadrunners at the Alamodome.

Houston is looking towards a potential berth in the College Football Playoffs, and they’ll look to avoid a potential stumbling block in this road date against the reigning Conference USA champion Roadrunners.

Head coach Jeff Traylor has a winning formula with UTSA, and the contest could be a shootout, with two talented quarterbacks under center for both teams.

The Cougars went 12-2 last year and are ranked inside the Top 25 to open the season for the first time since 2016.

UTSA is also coming off a successful season, going undefeated in its first 11 games and finishing with a 12-2 overall record.

With the kickoff scheduled for Saturday afternoon, here are 15 prospects to watch on both teams.