Colorado’s 2027 recruiting class gave Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes a real boost on paper, and offensive line coach Gunnar White was right in the middle of it.
According to 247Sports, White is the lead recruiter on six of Colorado’s commitments, a haul that includes two blue-chip prospects. That kind of footprint is a clear sign that the Buffs’ recruiting approach is shifting, and White said it traces back to a new directive from Sanders.
“It starts with Coach Prime,” White said. “He wanted to set a mission for the recruiting to be different.
In the past, we haven’t been heavy on high school guys, but this season, he said he wanted 20 or 21 [high school recruits]. I wanted to make sure that I was at the forefront of that, and it all starts up front with the offensive line and the defensive line, too.”
Colorado’s 2027 class was also the first time the program had reached 20 or more commitments from high school players since 2023, shortly after Sanders arrived in Boulder. That matters, especially after a down season, because it shows Colorado was still able to draw serious interest from recruits.
White also made clear that this isn’t just about stacking names in a class. He tied the effort to a bigger long-term goal in an era where NIL and the transfer portal dominate roster building.
“If you don’t have those guys, and you’re not getting them in and building them into your program, [it’s not ideal],” White said. “Ideally, you want to keep everybody and not have to depend on the portal.
So once you get them in, you get good habits built that you want; it self-grooms and cultivates on its own. That way, if you do have to go into the portal, you just get one or two [players], and there aren’t as many variables to it.”
White has backed up the talk with results. Even though he hasn’t landed a commitment since July 6, 247Sports still has him ranked as the No. 2 recruiter in the Big 12 for the class of 2027.
He is listed as the primary recruiter for two of Colorado’s blue-chip additions: four-star offensive tackles Dewey Young and Li’Marcus Jones. After Young committed, 247Sports briefly had White sitting as the No. 1 recruiter in the Big 12.
White also did strong work in Mississippi, where he helped bring in running back Kylan Bobo and offensive tackle Coderro McDaniel, according to 247Sports.
If this class ultimately matches its early promise, White’s fingerprints will be all over it.
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