Colorado’s recruiting operation has been busy enough this offseason to turn some heads across the Big 12. The Buffaloes have picked up 20 commitments in the class of 2027 over the past six months, and that early surge has them sitting at No. 33 nationally and No. 3 in the conference as of Saturday.
The numbers only tell part of the story. Colorado also has six staff members ranked among the Big 12’s top 40 recruiters, a sign that the work is being spread across the building rather than falling on just one or two people.
At the top of that list is offensive line coach Gunnar White, who comes in at No. 2 in the league. White has been central to six of Colorado’s 20 commitments, including OT Dewey Young, OT Li’Marcus Jones, OT Coderro McDaniel, RB Kylan Bobo as a secondary recruiter, OT Zaquan Linton and OL Jayin Talib. He sits just behind Kansas State defensive coordinator and Big 12 recruiting leader Jordan Peterson, and his ties to Mississippi have clearly paid off, especially with McDaniel and Bobo.
Director of recruiting Rashad Rich is next at No. 10 after joining Deion Sanders’ staff earlier this offseason following a four-year stint at Penn State. Rich has already helped land WR Jaiden Kelly-Murray, S Gabe Jenkins and LB Jahmiere Daniels-Portis. Colorado’s new recruiting director has also helped establish an East Coast pipeline, with Pennsylvania and his home state of Maryland standing out as key areas.
Director of player personnel Darrius Darden-Box checks in at No. 16 after moving up from director of recruiting. He has helped secure QB Andre Adams, OT Dewey Young as a secondary recruiter and DB Will Rasmussen. Adams, a top-25 quarterback nationally from Tennessee, is the headliner of the class so far, and Young also carries composite four-star status.
Running backs coach Johnnie Mack is No. 30 in the Big 12 and has already been part of two commitments: RB Kylan Bobo and EDGE Drew Sapp. Bobo, from Mississippi, rushed for 1,726 yards at Tupelo High School last year before choosing Colorado last month. Mack also made an impression on Sapp, a three-star prospect from Florida.
“Coach Johnnie Mack has been my main guy throughout the process,” Sapp told BuffInsider.com. “He's from Polk County and played at Lakeland High School, the same school I attend, so we've built a strong connection and have a lot of history.”
Inside receivers coach Rashad Davis is in at No. 38 and already has two 2027 commitments heading into his first season in that role.
Assistant linebackers coach Andre’ Hart rounds out Colorado’s group at No. 40. Hart, who previously worked at Jackson State and has long been part of Sanders’ orbit, has been involved with LB Jahmiere Daniels-Portis as a secondary recruiter and also landed EDGE Jovon Pulliam, who committed on June 6.
“I remember when he (Hart) first offered me,” the Alabama three-star told BuffInsider.com. “About two days later, he called me, and he was talking about the (mountain) view, but he wouldn't show me until I came out there to see it myself. When I went down there to see it myself, it was crazy.”
In Other News...
Colorado Fall Camp Opens With A Coaching Change Fans Cant Ignore
Colorados fall camp opened with a staffing wrinkle that did not go unnoticed, as the Buffaloes official coaching directory no longer lists receivers coach Jason Phillips and he was not part of the teams fall camp introductions. For a program trying to settle into its next phase, any change on the staff page tends to draw a little extra scrutiny, especially when it involves a position group as central to the offense as the receivers.
Rashad Davis, who had previously worked as an inside receivers coach, appeared to be handling Phillipss role as camp got underway. The Buffaloes have not officially confirmed what happened or offered an explanation, leaving the move to speak for itself while fans and observers try to read between the lines about how the offensive staff is being shaped. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Sanders Enters Fall Camp With Colorado Facing Early Pressure
Fall camp opened with the Buffaloes shifting preseason work to Colorado Springs, where 104 players reported as Deion Sanders and his staff started putting the roster through its first real tests of the season. Sanders has made the coaching staff and roster philosophy a central part of how this program is being built, and the start of camp is always the first checkpoint for whether that approach is translating from talk to practice.
Colorado also enters camp with an unexpected personnel note, as the program announced Jason Phillips is no longer with the team so he can attend to a family matter. It adds another layer to a week that is already about evaluation and urgency, because every early absence changes how the depth chart is shaped and how much flexibility the staff has as it sorts out the pieces before the real pressure starts. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados New OC Just Raised The Stakes For This Offense
Colorados offseason reset brought a clear message on offense, with the program turning to Brennan Marion to run the attack after its 2025 season. Marion arrives from Sacramento State, where he served as head coach, and he is expected to install his up-tempo go-go system while Chris Marve takes over as defensive coordinator. For a Buffaloes team trying to sharpen its identity, the staff changes point to a more aggressive look on both sides of the ball.
The timing makes the quarterback situation especially worth watching, because redshirt freshman Julian Lewis is projected to open the year as the starter against Georgia Tech. That is a lot to ask of a young passer in a new system, but it also gives Colorado a chance to find out quickly how fast Marions offense can take hold. The real intrigue is whether the scheme and the QB can mesh quickly enough to make the Buffaloes dangerous right away. [Read more 🡒]