Colorado Buffaloes running back Simeon Price tries to jump over Delaware’s KT Seay during a NCAA football game in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 6, 2025.(Cliff Grassmick/Staff Photographer)
This spring, the reality that the football journey could be over hit Simeon Price.
In December, the veteran running back put his name into the NCAA transfer portal, but wasn’t drawing interest.
Then, in June, the running back-needy Colorado Buffaloes called.
“When I got the call here, it was a no-brainer to walk into this type of environment with these coaches, this knowledge,” Price said this week, as he and the Buffs prepare to visit Houston on Friday (5:30 p.m., ESPN). “And I feel like I was sent here. God gave me an opportunity.”
So far, the fifth-year senior is making the most of it.
After playing three years at Mississippi State and then the 2024 season at Coastal Carolina, Price is leading the Buffs in rushing through two games. The 6-foot, 215-pound Price has 84 yards on 14 carries, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.
“First of all, he deserves it,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “Second of all, you talk about a great kid, a character kid, a kid that loves this game, loves everything. … Phenomenal human being and I’m proud to have him part of this team.”
Price is simply glad to be a part of any team.
Throughout his first four years in college, Price didn’t get a lot of opportunities. Prior to this year, he had 37 career games under his belt, but had carried the ball just 79 times for 327 yards.
After rushing for only 136 yards last year at Coastal Carolina, Price entered the portal, but found that opportunities weren’t there.
“I was at home training, thinking I was never going to be able to play football again,” he said.
There came a point where Price said he had to start making other plans for his future.
“Absolutely,” he said. “You have to. In my family, you can’t sit around and be a bum. So I was thinking about things off the field. … I was thinking about a lot of different routes. But again, I can’t thank the Lord enough for getting that phone call that that one day and landing me here.”
Price committed to CU in June and joined a room that has talent, but not a surefire No. 1 back.
Dallan Hayden has yet to play this year because of a hand injury, but is nearing a return. Micah Welch leads the backfield in carries (18) and isn’t far behind Price in yards (78). And, DeKalon Taylor has posted 50 yards on his eight carries.
Welch has been the starter so far, but running backs coach Marshall Faulk has used each of his top backs, and carries could be spread even thinner when Hayden returns.
Price, however, said he’s just relishing the opportunities as they come.
“Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,” he said. “We all know that it’s a deep room. We all know that we’re competing. But the thing that’s making our running back room click right now is the fact that we’re not selfish, we’re not an arrogant group of guys. We all want to see each other win. We all want to see each other succeed.”
For Price, there hasn’t been as much success as he hoped coming out of West Florida Tech High School in 2021, but he’s off to a good start this year.
“I would say (the first two games) were solid,” he said of his performances. “I’m always tough on myself, so a lot of areas I can improve in. Obviously, it’s a deep running back room, so anytime you get in there, you have to take advantage of your opportunities.”