What set Hornell's Rayyan Buell apart as he preps to play for Colorado and Deion Sanders

There will be a lot of eyes on former Red Raider football great Rayyan Buell when he lines up on defense for the Colorado Buffaloes in the fall.

The 2019 Hornell High School graduate and two-time Section V Defensive Player of the Year is considered an important transfer portal pickup for one of the most high-profile coaches in college football – NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.

That Buell will compete in a Power Five conference comes as no surprise to his former Hornell head football coach, Erik Werner.

“I am super happy for him. I loved every minute I got to spend with him and I am excited to see what he can do this fall," Werner said.

Werner, who spent 20 years on the Hornell staff including 11 years as head coach, points to Buell's tremendous athleticism and rare combination of size, speed and strength.

"He is probably the most talented football player I have coached from an athletic standpoint, the things he could do at such a large size. You can’t really fathom it until you see it live and in person," Werner said.

Buell named third-team All-MAC at Ohio in 2023

Buell, a 6-foot-4, 277-pound defensive lineman, played the past two seasons at MAC power Ohio University after previous stops at Rutgers and Northwest Mississippi Community College.

Buell had 30 tackles, including 12 solo stops and 4.5 sacks for the Bobcats last season. He had a solo tackle in Ohio’s 41-21 Myrtle Beach Bowl victory over Georgia Southern, while earning All-MAC third-team honors.

Buell had 9 tackles and 2 sacks in nine games for Ohio in 2022.

Buell was NY All-State linebacker with Hornell Red Raiders

Buell racked up individual and team recognition during his Red Raider career, as Hornell won the 2017 Class B Section V championship during Buell’s junior year and advanced to the NYSPHSAA Class B playoffs when he was a senior.

A two-way force at running back and at linebacker, Buell earned Section V Defensive Player of the Year honors following both his junior and senior seasons.

Buell was named to the New York State Sportswriters Association Class B All-State third team as a linebacker following his senior campaign after a first team selection as a junior.

He was also the 2019 Hornell Sports Night Male Athlete of the Year.

How Buell fits with the Colorado Buffaloes and Coach Prime

Buell has one season of eligibility remaining and he joins a team with a new look in a new conference.

Buell is expected to add depth to the defensive line under incoming Colorado defensive coordinator Robert Livingston. "Coach Prime" isn't the only Hall of Famer who will be coaching up Buell this season. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers great Warren Sapp recently joined the Colorado coaching staff and is expected to help out the defensive line.

After going 1-11 in 2022, Colorado was must-watch in Sanders' first season leading the Buffaloes.

CU opened 2023 with three straight wins, including a shocking 45-42 victory over national runner-up TCU in Coach Prime’s first game.

After defeating Nebraska and Colorado State in its next two games, the Buffs limped to a 4-8 record in the final season of Pac-12 Conference play.

Buell's Hornell career showed he 'could play at the highest level'

Colorado joins the Big-12 in 2024 and returns two likely future NFL first round draft picks in quarterback Sheduer Sanders, Deion’s son, and two-way star Travis Hunter.

For Buell, it's a significant step up in competition but one that Werner believes he is more than capable of handling.

“He was a special player and you could tell he could play at the highest level," Werner said. "I think he is going to get great coaching at Colorado and he’s a kid who is just going to work his tail off and absorb everything those coaches will give him and be successful.

“I am very excited to now be able to watch him on Saturdays on the screen and see how he does.”

Colorado opens the 2024 season at Folsom Field in Boulder against North Dakota State.

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This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Former Hornell football great Rayyan Buell will play for 'Coach Prime'