Concerning Recruiting Statistic for Colorado Under Deion Sanders

The Colorado Buffaloes have struggled in recruiting locally. Colorado was unable to land any of the four-star recruits from the state of Colorado in the class of 2026. The Buffs lone in-state signee from the 2026 class was three-star offensive tackle Josiah Manu.

Colorado’s 2026 Recruiting Class Lacking In-State Talent

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Recruiting Class of 2026 Transfer Portal In-State Rankings Josiah Manu Coach Prime Boulder — Nov 11, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs on to the field before the first half against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado’s 2026 recruiting class is ranked as the 54th best in the country per On3. It is the 10th highest ranked class in the Big 12 conference.

The Buffaloes only received the commitments from 12 players, which shockingly low compared to most programs around the country. Rivals Industry has four of these players rated as four-star recruits: edge rusher Domata Peko Jr., cornerback Preston Ashley, athlete Alexander Ward, and wide receiver Xavier McDonald.

None of their top recruits were in-state and it was just the three-star Josiah Manu. Manu is ranked by 247Sports as the 18th highest rated recruit in Colorado. The 17 ahead of him all signed with other schools. This includes three-star prospects tight end Ty Goettsche, linebacker Braylon Hodge, and defensive lineman Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais.

Goettsche signed with BYU, Hodge signed with Oregon, and Umu-Cais signed with Washington. In the 2025 recruiting class, Colorado missed out on the top two in-state recruits; athlete Tanner Teach who signed with Nebraska and wide receiver Marcus Mozer who signed with San Diego State.

The Buffaloes were able to sign the third highest-rated state of Colorado recruit in tight end Zayne DeSouza. To build a strong recruiting pipeline, it starts with the local talent. Colorado has not done that to this point.

With only 12 commitments overall in the 2026 recruiting class, Colorado has had to be especially aggressive in the transfer portal.

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Buffs Busy in Transfer Portal

Under Colorado coach Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes have consistently been active in the transfer portal. The same remains true in this transfer portal cycle.

After losing 37 players to the portal, Colorado has added 42 incoming transfesr. Three of these are rated by 247Sports as four-star transfers; wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. from Texas, safety Boo Carter from Tennessee, and linebacker Liona Lefau from Texas.

The Buffaloes hope these additions will help them get back on track after a disappointing 2025 season, where they finished with an overall record of 3-9.

On the other side of things in the portal, Colorado will have to find a way to fill the void left by two of their best players from a season ago in offensive tackle Jordan Seaton and wide receiver Omarion Miller. Seaton was just named Second-team All-Big 12 in 2025 and is one of the premier players available in the portal. He has yet to choose his next destination.

Miller was also named Second-team All-Big 12 in 2025. He led the Buffaloes in all three major receiving categories; receptions with 45, receiving yards with 808, and touchdown receptions with eight. Miller transferred to the Arizona State Sun Devils.