Colorado’s recruiting map keeps circling back to Mississippi, and Gunnar White is a big reason why.
The Buffaloes offensive line coach has already helped bring several players with ties to his home state into the program, and the bye week gives him another chance to deepen those relationships. With Utah set to visit Boulder on Oct. 17, White posted an “On the Road” graphic on X that traced a route from Boulder to Jackson, Mississippi, signaling another recruiting run without identifying the schools or prospects involved.
That Mississippi connection matters for Colorado because White brings more than a phone book full of contacts. He followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Boulder and took over the Buffaloes’ offensive line before the 2025 season, giving Colorado a coach who already knows the territory and the people in it.
“Obviously, Gunnar coming up in Mississippi, that’s his zone,” Sanders said during an August press conference while explaining how he split recruiting duties among his assistants.
The clearest proof of White’s value shows up in Colorado’s own class. Offensive tackle Coderro McDaniel, a Bookhaven prospect, flipped from Ole Miss to Colorado in June after a visit to Boulder. White is from nearby Terry, Mississippi, and that shared background gave the two an easy connection before McDaniel decided to leave the state.
“Coach Gunnar’s a Mississippi guy, so he gets where I’m coming from,” McDaniel told BuffStampede in a recent interview.
Colorado now has more than one recruiting pitch to make in that part of the country. McDaniel is part of the Buffaloes’ 2027 class along with offensive tackle Li’Marcus Jones, who played at Jackson’s Callaway High School before transferring to Brentwood Academy in Tennessee, and running back Kylan Bobo of Tupelo.
Those names give White something tangible to sell to other prospects. Instead of asking families to imagine what Boulder might look like, Colorado can point to players from the region who already chose it.
The Buffaloes also have interest from another Mississippi-area target. Interior offensive line prospect Tanner Seaton of Madison Central listed Colorado among his final five in August, joining LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Memphis. Colorado is the only school in that group outside the Southeast, and while White’s post does not confirm Seaton as part of this trip, his inclusion helps explain why the Jackson area keeps drawing attention.
There’s also a message coming from Colorado’s current roster. True freshman offensive lineman Xavier Payne made his first career start against No. 12 Texas Tech before the bye, a reminder that younger linemen can get on the field in Boulder.
That matters for a program trying to build more stability up front. Landing high school linemen is one part of the job; keeping them around is the next if Colorado wants to avoid constantly patching together the offensive line through transfers.
White spelled out the program’s recruiting direction in August: “It starts with Coach Prime,” he said. “He wanted to set a mission for the recruiting to be different.”
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