Naeten Mitchell holds the FS · Starter spot in Colorado Buffaloes’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Naeten Mitchell is a free safety from Temple, Texas, who joins Colorado as an undergraduate transfer from New Mexico State with two years of eligibility remaining. At New Mexico State (2023–2025), Mitchell appeared in 23 games with 12 starts across three seasons, accumulating 102 tackles overall and 65 unassisted tackles along with three interceptions, nine pass breakups, four forced fumbles, and 1.5 tackles for loss. His 2025 campaign marked a breakout year in which he started all 12 games, recording 93 tackles, 59 unassisted tackles, three interceptions, six pass breakups, and four forced fumbles to earn Second Team All-CUSA recognition. His four forced fumbles led the CUSA and tied for fifth nationally.

New Mexico State2023 – 2025

Colorado2026 — present