For the second time in the past week, one of the top players on Colorado’s defense has elected to transfer.
On Tuesday, safety Mark Perry put his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
Last week, second-year freshman cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who started all 18 of CU’s games over the past two years, announced his decision to transfer.
CU has had 12 scholarship players put their names in the transfer portal since September, including nine since the season came to a close on Nov. 26. Gonzalez and Perry are the only starters to transfer.
Perry, a third-year sophomore this past season, started all 12 games at free safety and finished third on the team with 72 tackles. He also led the Buffs with three interceptions and added two tackles for loss and four pass breakups.
Perry, who came to CU in 2019 from Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) High School, was one of the most improved players on the team this season. Perry committed to CU under former head coach Mike MacIntyre, played his freshman year for head coach Mel Tucker and the past two years for current head coach Karl Dorrell.
“I would like to thank everyone around the Colorado Football program for helping shape me into the man I am today,” Perry wrote on social media. “I can’t explain how much every single person in the Champions Center means to me. From academic staff, to recruiting, to the janitors that cleaned the locker room daily nothing y’all did went unnoticed. I want to thank coach Macintyre, Coach Tucker, and Coach Dorrell for allowing me to represent CU. I want to thank all of my teammates past and present I love all of you and y’all will continue to do great things. With that being said I have decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. I am looking forward to what the future holds.”
During his three seasons at CU, Perry played in 25 games, recording 94 tackles.
As a true freshman in 2019, he played in a nickel role and racked up 12 tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. In 2020, he started two games and finished with 10 tackles.
Notes
On Monday, former CU receiver Chris Carpenter committed to Texas-San Antonio. … On Tuesday morning, Rivals.com reported that 911 scholarship players from the Football Bowl Subdivision have entered the transfer portal since Aug. 1. Of those, 32 withdrew their names and 636 had yet to announce their new school.
