Former Ohio State running back Dallan Hayden on Monday announced he will transfer to Colorado.

Hayden, who was among two Buckeyes to enter the transfer portal when it opened for the spring’s 15-day window last Tuesday, visited the school over the weekend, according to a report from On3.

The Buffaloes have leaned heavily on the portal since hiring Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders as their head coach 16 months ago.

During their first year with “Coach Prime,” as he is known, at the helm, Colorado brought in 53 transfers. Dozens more have followed this offseason. In this spring window alone, Hayden was the fifth transfer to commit to the program.

In two seasons with the Buckeyes, Hayden was a backup in the backfield rotation. He was expected to remain behind TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins on the depth chart this year.

But Hayden flashed promise. He had consecutive 100-yard rushing performances as a freshman in 2022, including rushing for three touchdowns in a win at Maryland, and stepped up last fall in a win at Purdue when injuries piled up.

Hayden finished with 663 rushing yards and six touchdowns in 13 games at Ohio State. As a result of preserving his redshirt last fall, he has three years of eligibility left.

Colorado figures to provide Hayden with more opportunities. Anthony Hankerson, who had a team-high 78 carries last fall, transferred to Oregon State over the winter.

Hankerson split the workload with Dylan Edwards, who as a freshman was the team's leading rusher in 2023 with 321 yards and a touchdown on 76 carries.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch and can be reached at jkaufman@dispatch.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dallan Hayden, former Ohio State running back, to transfer to Colorado