Nixon enters transfer portal
BO U LDE R» Colorado receiver KD Nixon is looking to play his final year of college football elsewhere.
Nixon has entered the NCAA transfer portal and could play at another school as a graduate transfer next fall. Although he was a senior this season, all players have been granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Entering the portal doesn’t necessarily mean Nixon will leave CU, but it allows him to explore opportunities at other schools.
Nixon, who has earned his bachelor’s degree, ranks 19th in CU history in career catches (99) and receiving yards (1,221), while adding seven touchdowns. He also had five catches for 39 yards in the Valero Alamo Bowl last month, numbers that CU doesn’t count in its career totals.
In addition to receiving, Nixon added 758 yards on kickoff returns during his career and scored one rushing touchdown.
The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Nixon came to CU from DeSoto (Texas) High School in 2017, along with prep teammate Laviska Shenault. Nixon and Shenault spent three years together at CU before Shenault left the Buffs last winter to enter the NFL Draft, where he was a second-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Nixon declared for the draft last winter, as well, but quickly changed his mind and hoped for a bigger role and more production as a senior with the Buffs. The COVID-19 pandemic and a hamstring injury limited him to just four games this past season, however.
Including the Alamo Bowl, Nixon caught 15 passes for 132 yards and no touchdowns this season. He also had a 5-yard run in the bowlgame.
Nixon has had several big moments in his career at CU, including the longest passing play in program history – a 96-yard touchdown from Steven Montez on a flea-flicker during a 3431 overtime win against Nebraska on Sept. 7, 2019, at Folsom Field.
Nixon’s most productive season came in 2018, when he caught 52 passes for 636 yards and four touchdowns. He had career highs of 13 catches and 198 yards, along with two touchdowns, in a 41-34 overtime loss to Oregon State on Oct. 27, 2018.
Nixon started 23 games over the past three years, and caught at least one pass in 26 of the last 27 games he played.
This season, Nixon was the lone senior among the receivers.
For now, the Buffs are projected to return juniors Daniel Arias, Maurice Bell and Jaylon Jackson; sophomore Dimitri Stanley; redshirt freshman La’Vontae Shenault; and true freshmen Chris Carpenter, Montana Lemonious-Craig, Keith Miller III and Brenden Rice.
CU also added incoming freshmen Chase Penry and Ty Robinson on national signing day last month.
Counting the Alamo Bowl, Stanley led the Buffs with 20 catches for 335 yards and a touchdown this season, with La’Vontae Shenault second with 17 catches for 193 yards. Nixon was third in catches and yards.