Colorado got a jolt on the recruiting trail, and it came with a message that reaches well beyond one commitment.
Four-star tackle Li’Marcus Jones, who had flipped to Mississippi State on Nov. 9, changed course the next night and announced he is sticking with Colorado. In doing so, the Mississippi native and Brentwood Academy standout also offered a clear sign about where he believes Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes are headed.
“After having a hard time sleeping and thinking on my decision, I realize that going back home to Mississippi is not for me,” Jones began. “I allowed the media to get to my head about where Coach Prime will be at next year.”
Colorado’s coaching situation has been under the microscope with the Buffaloes sitting at 3-6 and one loss away from missing another bowl season. The team heads into its Nov. 13 matchup against No.
14 Houston with that uncertainty hanging over the program. Jones, though, said the staff gave him a different picture.
“The staff informed me that they will, in fact, be there,” Jones said, indicating Sanders and Colorado visualize being together in 2027. “So with that being said, I’m 100 percent locked in with Coach Prime and the Buffs.”
That gives Colorado a badly needed win after a rocky stretch on the recruiting front. The Buffaloes’ 2027 class had already taken hits after Oct. 27, when three verbal commitments reopened their recruitment or flipped elsewhere. Jones had been one of the biggest names in that group, and now he’s back in the fold.
Colorado is back up to 19 verbal commitments for the 2027 class. That leaves three-star wide receiver Ryan Ferdinand and linebacker, plus fellow three-star Jahmiere Portis-Daniels, as the lone decommits.
Ferdinand flipped to Big 12 rival Cincinnati on Nov. 5.
Jones’ return matters even more because he is Colorado’s highest-ranked commit, according to 247Sports. The outlet lists him as a four-star prospect with a 90 rating. He and fellow tackle commit Dewey Jones are the Buffaloes’ two four-star verbal commitments.
The rankings picture still has Colorado trailing a few Big 12 peers. Per 247, the Buffaloes sit fourth in the conference behind West Virginia, Kansas State and Texas Tech, and they are 46th nationally.
On3/Rivals has Colorado a little higher at 40th overall, ahead of Bill Belichick-led North Carolina, plus Northwestern and Utah at 43rd and 45th, respectively. Northwestern and Utah both beat Colorado on the field during the 2026 season, with the Utes winning 27-24.
On3/Rivals also places Colorado fourth in the Big 12 recruiting race. Even so, Jones’ decision gives the Buffaloes a lift at a time when the class needed one. It also stands out because he is the first recruit to publicly signal that Sanders and the CU staff are expected to stay put, and that message has already started to echo inside the class with a “Play for Prime” hashtag following his announcement.
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