Colorado’s Darius Darden-Box Speaks Openly on Recruiting Expectations

Colorado Buffaloes director of player personnel Darius Darden-Box has been making his presence felt on the recruiting trail.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warmup prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes hired Darius Darden-Box as their director of player personnel back in December. This hire has been paying off on the recruiting trail for the Buffaloes. 

Darius Darden-Box With High Recruiting Hopes

Andre Adams stands for a portrait after announcing his commitment to the University of Colorado during a ceremony at Antioch High School on Tuesday, April, 14, 2026 in Antioch. | NICOLE HESTER / THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Darius Darden-Box was hired by Colorado, the Buffs were coming off landing the No. 67 ranked recruiting class in the country according to Rivals. It was one of the lowest ranked classes out of any power conference team and No. 15 out of 16 in the Big 12. 

Darden-Box has helped changed things for the Buffs in recruiting right away. The Buffs 2027 class currently consists of 16 commits, with three rated either four of five stars. It is ranked as the No. 37 class in the country and the No. 4 class in the Big 12. 

“I like batting from 100. Last week we was 80 percent from the field. We got four commits. So six other people we got to get,” Darden-Box said in a video posted by Well Off Media. “I think we’re going to be 60-40 for sure.”

🔥 Buffs Recruits. @CoachBox6 Targets for This Weekend 👀🦬

"I like betting from 100. Last week we was 80% and got 4 commits. 6 other people we gotta get. We gonna be 60/40 for sure" https://t.co/rTkAgqYT4L pic.twitter.com/0s2zl2804i

— JaKi 🇺🇸 (@JaKiTruth) June 20, 2026

Colorado's 2026 class had 20 commits. Darden-Box is getting closer to outdoing that number in 2027.

Colorado’s three highest rated commits in the 2027 class are the three four-star recruits: quarterback Andre Adams, wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray, and safety Gabe Jenkins. 

Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders greets players before the start of the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

A big reason for Colorado's low recruiting ranking the past few years is because of how heavily they have relied on the transfer portal under coach Deion Sanders. Coach Prime took over in Boulder in 2023. The year prior, the Buffs won just one game. This caused Sanders to completely revamp the roster in the portal.

The two most prominent transfers Sanders brought over with him in the portal were quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter. These two quickly became among the most popular players in all of college football. Shedeur Sanders had the attention of the country early in his career because of the fact that he is Deion Sanders' son.

Deion Sanders had a Hall of Fame football playing career at the collegiate and professional level before beginning his career and sports media and eventually, coaching. Shedeur Sanders was a highly touted transfer that followed his dad from Jackson State to Colorado.

In Shedeur Sanders' two seasons at Colorado in 2023 and 2024, he threw for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns. In 2024, he was named the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, helping lead the Buffs to nine wins.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) and his father Deion Sanders on the sideline before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Nine wins would not have been possible without Travis Hunter. Hunter, like Sanders, followed Coach Prime from Jackson State to Colorado. He was a two-way star for Colorado in 2023 and 2024, which resulted in him winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Sanders and Hunter were both selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

While the transfer portal has hits like Sanders and Hunter, there are also misses. This was the case in 2025 after those two left for the NFL. Colorado was unable to replace them, leading to a dissapointing 3-9 season. The Buffs now look to be getting back to making high school recruiting more of a priority instead of relying on the portal as much.

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