Cameron Newton may not have had a star rating next to his name, but his high school résumé speaks volumes-and now, he’s headed to Boulder to join Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes.
After piling up over 4,400 rushing yards and 72 touchdowns across his final two seasons at Walnut Grove High School in Prosper, Texas, Newton announced his verbal commitment to Colorado on Monday morning. It's a big get for Coach Prime and a Buffs program that’s been aggressively reshaping its backfield.
Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing in at 185 pounds, Newton didn’t carry the recruiting buzz of some of his peers-no stars from the major services-but his offer sheet was plenty respectable. He held 19 scholarship offers, including from service academies like Air Force, Army, and Navy, as well as FBS programs like Temple. Most of his interest came from FCS schools, but Colorado saw something more-and it’s not hard to figure out what.
Newton was simply electric in his senior season. He led Walnut Grove to a 12-1 record, a district championship in 4-5A Division II, and a deep playoff run that ended in the third round of the Texas state playoffs.
His stat line? A ridiculous 2,402 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns-plus 388 receiving yards and three more scores on 35 catches.
He topped 100 rushing yards in every single game. That kind of consistency, especially in Texas high school football, is no small feat.
And what makes his story even more impressive is that Walnut Grove is a brand-new school. The doors opened in 2023, and Newton was part of the program’s foundation.
As a sophomore that first season, he rushed for 709 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2024 with 2,007 yards and 31 touchdowns, helping the Wildcats to a district title.
So in just two years, Newton helped build a program from scratch and turned it into a playoff contender. That kind of leadership and production is hard to overlook.
Now, he steps into a Colorado running back room that looks very different than it did a year ago. The Buffs have added some serious talent via the transfer portal, including former Alabama back Richard Young and a pair of Sacramento State standouts in Damian Henderson II and Jaquail Smith. That’s a lot of new blood, and Newton will have to compete for touches, but he’s joining a group that’s clearly being retooled for more explosiveness and depth.
Micah Welch, who led the Buffs in rushing last season with 384 yards, returns for his junior year. Senior DeKalon Taylor is also back after a promising start to last season was cut short by injury-he posted 83 rushing yards and 106 receiving yards in just four games before going down.
For Newton, this is a chance to prove he belongs at the Power Five level. He’s a compact, tough runner with vision, burst, and the kind of production that demands attention, even if the recruiting stars didn’t come with it. And for Colorado, it’s another example of Coach Prime betting on upside and bringing in guys who’ve shown they can produce-regardless of the recruiting rankings.
Keep an eye on this one. Cameron Newton might not be a household name yet, but he’s got the kind of game that could make him one in Boulder.