Colorado’s recruiting picture looks a lot different these days, and one of the program’s most recognizable former stars is taking notice.
The Buffaloes’ 2027 class now includes five recruits rated as four-stars in the 247Sports composite rankings, a sign that Deion Sanders and his staff are building beyond the transfer portal and pushing harder on the prep side, too. That broader approach has started to draw attention nationally, and it has also earned approval from retired NFL running back Phillip Lindsay.
Lindsay, now 31, told Kyle Odegard of The Action Network that he likes the way Colorado is targeting players from smaller programs and giving them a chance to move up.
“I love that they went to these so-called lower divisions schools like DI-AA and got the best players from those divisions, bringing up and rewarding them for what they’ve done," Lindsay told Odegard. "Those type of players know they’re not going to get $1 million, but maybe it’s $75,000 or $100,000, more than they’ve ever had, and now they’re coming up there to a bigger conference."
That comment appears to point to edge rusher Toby Anene, who came from North Dakota State, along with safety Naeten Mitchell and defensive tackle Ezra Christensen of New Mexico State. Mitchell and Christensen played in Conference USA, and Anene and Mitchell are projected to push for starting roles on defense.
Colorado’s recruiting class also blends those kinds of additions with four- and three-star high school prospects, and Lindsay believes that mix will matter on the field. In his view, the players coming into Boulder now are the type who will “they're going to play harder” rather than chase a huge NIL payday.
Lindsay knows the program well. The Aurora native played for Colorado from 2014 to 2017, piling up 3,770 rushing yards and finishing with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. He also scored 39 total touchdowns before moving onto NFL Draft boards.
His college career came during a stretch when Colorado was still trying to climb back. Mike MacIntyre took over a year before Lindsay broke into the two-deep on offense, and his first three teams went 4-8, 2-10 and 4-9. Lindsay helped power the 2016 team to a 10-4 finish and a spot in the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game.
Colorado hasn’t reached 10 wins in a season since then, and the program has finished below .500 seven times, including twice under Sanders. Still, Sanders’ best season came in 2024, when the Buffaloes went 9-4 and had Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter at wide receiver and cornerback.
Lindsay’s comments suggest he sees momentum building again in Boulder, especially with Sanders and his staff reviving the recruiting push after Sanders’ bladder cancer bout. From his perspective, the Buffaloes are bringing in the kind of players who fit the program’s new direction.
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