Deion Sanders has Colorado recruiting on a far wider map than the Buffaloes have had in recent years, and the numbers back it up.
Before the calendar turned to May, Colorado sat at No. 78 in On3/Rivals’ 2027 team rankings. Since then, the Buffaloes have climbed 40 spots. 247Sports has also pushed CU up in a major way, moving the program from No. 65 in late April to No. 31 as of July 7.
That rise is about more than just stacking four-stars. The bigger story is how Sanders and his staff are piecing this class together from all over the country.
Colorado is not depending on nearby Rocky Mountain talent, and Sanders is not simply mining Florida because it is his home state. Instead, the Buffaloes have built a coast-to-coast recruiting operation, helped by assistants with proven track records from previous stops.
Director of recruiting Rashad Rich, who previously worked at Penn State under James Franklin, has already made his presence felt. His Pennsylvania ties helped Colorado land four-star Pittsburgh safety Gabe Jenkins.
Director of player personnel Darrius Darden-Box has also been central to the push. He previously recruited SEC talent at Vanderbilt, and that background has helped Colorado win over prospects with SEC connections, including three-star edge rusher Ba'Roc Willis, an ex-Alabama commit, and four-star tackle Dewey Young, who chose the Buffaloes over Vanderbilt and South Carolina.
At Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas on July 7, Sanders said, "I'm loving what we're doing recruiting wise right now. We just changed the thought process in how we did it.
I knew what I wanted. I know what we needed," Sanders told reporters at Big 12 Media Days held in Frisco, Texas on July 7.
"And we're going to be even better."
Colorado now has 20 verbal commits from 11 different states, a footprint that shows up everywhere from coast to coast.
The Buffaloes have gone as far west as Utah, where three-star cornerback Will Rasmussen of Orem became a commit. Texas has delivered two more, three-star interior offensive lineman Jayin Talib, the nephew of former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib, and three-star cornerback Prince Washington, who was unranked before committing to Colorado.
The South has been just as important. Assistant offensive line coach Gunnar White helped flip three-star Ole Miss tackle commit Coderro McDaniel and also played a role in landing four-star tackle Li'Marcus Jones. Offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and running backs coach Johnnie Mack helped Colorado get three-star running back Kylan Bobo, who had offers from 27 schools.
Jones is part of Colorado’s Tennessee haul, along with four-star quarterback Andre Adams, whose recruitment was led by Darden-Box and Marion. Georgia is represented by three-star offensive lineman Kenny Fairley, while Alabama produced Willis and three-star edge rusher Jovon Pulliam from Hoover.
Florida remains Colorado’s biggest pipeline, with six three-star commits in all: cornerback Davon Dericho from Miami, safety Samari Howard from Fort Lauderdale, tackle Zaquan Linton from Palm Beach Central, wide receiver Ryan Ferdinand from Palm Beach Lakes, edge rusher Drew Sapp from Lakeland and another Sunshine State addition in the group.
The Buffaloes have also reached into South Carolina, where four-star wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray from Mount Pleasant joined the class in May after backing off his previous pledge to the Gamecocks.
Colorado has even made inroads in Big Ten territory, landing Young from Michigan, Jenkins from Pennsylvania and two Ohio linebackers in Jahmiere Daniels-Portis and Kaylon Bailey, both three-star prospects.
Fans will have to wait until the 2027 season to see this group on the field at Folsom Field, but the Buffaloes have already made one thing clear: their revamped high school recruiting approach has put Colorado back on the national radar.
In Other News...
Coach Prime Just Got More Bulletin Board Fuel From The Big 12
The Big 12s preseason All-Big 12 team arrived with a familiar kind of offseason message for Colorado: plenty of respect for the leagues established names, but none for the Buffs new-look roster. Even after bringing in one of the nations best transfer classes, Colorado was shut out of the list entirely, a reminder that preseason voting often says as much about reputation as it does about what a team might become once the games start.
For Deion Sanders, it is the sort of slight that can linger in a locker room. Colorados newcomers have plenty to prove, and the omission gives them a clean line of motivation heading into the season, especially for players like Danny Scudero, who arrives with a national profile and still found himself left off the conferences early spotlight. The Buffs do not need bulletin-board material to believe in themselves, but the Big 12 just handed them some anyway. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Lewis Struck A Different Tone When Colorado Faced Its Hardest Topic
Julian Lewis sounded more settled at Big 12 Media Days than he did a year ago, and that mattered for Colorado because the freshman quarterback is no longer just talking about arriving on campus. He spoke about understanding college football better, adjusting to Brennan Marions Go-Go offense and using spring practice to keep building, all while the Buffaloes continue sorting out a quarterback room that also includes Isaac Wilson.
The harder part of the day came when Lewis was asked about a teammate no longer with the program, a moment that shifted the tone of an otherwise football-heavy session. Lewis also touched on the season opener against Georgia Tech and even offered his quarterback Mount Rushmore, but the most revealing part of his appearance was how carefully he handled the emotional side of Colorados offseason, leaving the full answer hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Just Made A Derrick White Move Buffs Fans Will Feel
Colorados basketball program has been working to find its footing again after missing the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, and now it has turned to one of its most recognizable recent alums for help. Derrick White, the former Buffaloes guard now with the Boston Celtics, is back in Boulder in an off-court capacity, giving Tad Boyles staff another voice as it tries to shape what comes next.
Spencer Dinwiddie, another former Colorado player, publicly backed Whites return in a video shared by the program, a nod that should resonate with fans who have watched the Buffs try to keep pace in a changing college landscape. The move also fits neatly into the schools push toward its next phase, with Whites presence carrying both basketball credibility and the kind of familiarity that can matter when a program is trying to rebuild momentum. [Read more 🡒]