Colorado’s trip to Northwestern changes the recruiting picture for this weekend, and not in a small way. After a busy home opener against Weber State that brought more than 70 in-state prospects to Folsom Field, the Buffaloes won’t have that same game-day setup in Evanston.
That’s the reality of how official visits work. NCAA recruiting rules tie those visits to a school’s campus, so the usual Colorado-hosted weekend for recruits only happens when the Buffaloes are at home. A prospect could still show up for the game on their own, but that’s a different experience from the normal CU visit environment.
The schedule has made that even more noticeable. Colorado is away for three of its first four games, something the program had not done since 1974.
The comparison lines up like this: the Buffaloes opened that 1974 season at LSU and Michigan, returned home for Wisconsin, then hit the road again for Air Force. This year follows a similar squeeze, with Colorado starting at Georgia Tech, hosting Weber State, going to Northwestern this weekend and then traveling to Baylor on Sept.
That means back-to-back road Saturdays, and with them, fewer chances for the staff to work recruits through the full game-day experience. Last week showed the opposite side of the equation. The home opener was active, local prospects were around Folsom Field, and the weekend ended with another 2027 commitment when Mater Dei quarterback Cameron Pooley joined the class after the Weber State game.
Even without the campus tour and the sideline conversations, Colorado still has something to sell on the road. The Buffaloes will get a national FOX window in Evanston, and redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis enters the game after earning Big 12 Freshman of the Week and Manning Award Star of the Week honors.
Deion Sanders has made it clear that the on-field product is part of the pitch. When asked about Colorado’s 2027 commits during his Sept. 8 weekly press conference in Boulder, he said, “We're not trying to lure them with money.
We're trying to lure them with the game itself. But I love where we are.
I talk to those young men."
Sanders also said he keeps in touch with the commits every week and runs Zoom calls with the group. He noted that they had watched the Georgia Tech game and were excited about the win.
That makes this weekend straightforward from a recruiting standpoint: Colorado can’t offer the full Folsom Field treatment, but it can still put a performance on film and in front of a national audience. If the Buffaloes handle business on Fox, that becomes another game Sanders can point to the next time those conversations pick back up.
The next real home opportunity comes Oct. 3 against reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech. That game is also Colorado’s conference home opener and Homecoming, which gives the staff its next chance to stage a traditional recruiting weekend at Folsom Field. No public visitor list has been reported for Texas Tech yet, so there’s no reason to attach names to that weekend before recruits confirm their plans.
In Other News...
Colorado May Have Found A Key Piece To Protect Julian Lewis
Colorados recent push on the high school recruiting trail has started to show up where it matters most, in the trenches. The Buffaloes have made a bigger commitment to building through prep prospects, and that effort got a boost with four-star offensive tackle Dewey Young at the front of their 2027 class. ESPN analysts singled out Young as the Colorado commit most likely to help sooner rather than later, which fits the broader need to keep the pocket cleaner for quarterback Julian Lewis.
Youngs path to Boulder also gives the commitment some added weight. He had family ties to Michigan State and had several other programs in the mix before choosing Colorado, a sign the Buffs had to win a real recruiting fight for a player they view as part of the offensive-line rebuild. For a program trying to strengthen protection up front, landing a tackle with early-impact potential is exactly the kind of step that can shape what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Leaving Colorado Would Take More Than Florida State Interest
Deion Sanders has Colorado off to a 2-0 start in 2026, a welcome change after last years 3-9 finish and another reminder of how quickly he has reset the tone around the program. Even with Florida State looming as a possible opening, the situation is not as simple as a nostalgic reunion. Sanders has built real footing in Boulder, where the fit has centered on control, confidence and a staff structure he helped shape.
Florida State is expected to search for a new head coach after the firing of its athletic director and the likely departure of Mike Norvell, which naturally puts Sanders in the conversation. But any move would have to clear more than one hurdle, including his Colorado buyout, the history of FSU passing on him before, and the question of whether he would walk away from the autonomy and salary he has in Boulder. The interest is real enough to keep the speculation alive, but the path from rumor to reality still looks complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Pass Defense Is Putting Jaydan Hardy In A Tough Spot
Colorados secondary has already been forced to absorb plenty of damage through its first two games, and that has made the back end of the defense a moving target. For transfer safety Jaydan Hardy, who arrived with playoff experience on his resume, it has also meant a slow start in a unit that is still being sorted out as Deion Sanders keeps shuffling personnel, including on special teams.
Hardy has not put up any defensive stats through those two games, and he still has not carved out a clear role on the field. With the Buffaloes still searching for the right mix in the secondary, the opening is there for him to matter, but the question now is whether he can turn that opportunity into something more than just a spot on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]