Colorado’s California push may not be done yet.
After landing three-star quarterback Cameron Pooley out of Mater Dei in Santa Ana during Sept. 2026, Deion Sanders and his staff are now trending toward another Orange County target: rising three-star defensive lineman Xavier Brooks of Laguna Beach High.
Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins said the Buffs are in a strong position after Brooks visited Colorado over the weekend for the Weber State game.
"Laguna Beach (Calif.) defensive lineman just visited Colorado over the weekend [for the Weber State game] and the Buffs are in a good spot right now," Biggins wrote.
Biggins also said a decision could be close, adding that "a commitment seems imminent for the talented defensive lineman who has really flashed this season." For Colorado, that would mean another needed body in the interior defensive line mix.
Brooks, who is listed at 6-1 and 265 pounds, would give the Buffaloes help at a spot where the depth picture is already getting thinner. Defensive tackle Malachi Brown announced during the week of Sept. 14 that he has a torn labrum and will miss the rest of the 2026 season. Brown also said in that announcement that he is battling for eligibility.
That issue matters because Colorado has already lost two other players to similar eligibility rulings: edge rusher Balansama Kamara and defensive tackle Ezra Christensen. Neither was able to play in the Georgia Tech opener after those decisions, and Brown’s 2027 status is now in doubt as well.
That’s part of why Brooks has become such an obvious target. He brings the kind of versatility Colorado can use, and he could eventually step into more than one role on the defensive front. The Buffaloes may be eyeing him as the next Santana Hopper type.
Hopper, a Tulane transfer, came in as an edge rusher before moving to defensive tackle because of depth needs. He has since helped spark a quick pass rush under defensive coordinator Chris Marve.
Colorado will need that kind of production to keep going once Hopper is gone, since he is listed as a one-and-done for this season. Brooks would help soften that future transition.
There’s also plenty to like in Brooks’ background. He was a CIF state wrestling qualifier in the 2025-26 season in the 215-pound class, and he backed that up on the football field with a big junior year in the “OC,” piling up 18 tackles for loss and 13 sacks.
If Colorado gets him, Brooks would join three-star commit Kenny Fairley in the 2027 interior defensive line class and further strengthen the Buffaloes’ newly energized California recruiting run.
In Other News...
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For a coach whose presence is as much physical as it is vocal, even small gains matter on the sideline. The prosthetics are intended to improve his balance and gait, a practical change that speaks to how much day-to-day comfort still factors into his life after a long and public recovery. [Read more 🡒]
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Colorado Gets Its First Real Test In A Tougher Road Spot
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The Buffaloes rushing attack figures to be a central piece of the discussion, especially against a Northwestern team that will have spent the week preparing specifically for what Colorado wants to do on the ground. Theres also the usual betting angle around the total, which only adds to the sense that this could be a possession-by-possession game rather than a track meet. For a Colorado team trying to show its fast start is built to travel, this is the kind of game that reveals a little more about where the Buffaloes really stand. [Read more 🡒]