Colorado Buffaloes' Deion Sanders Battling Bill Belichick For Pair Of Touted Recruits

Coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are anxiously awaiting commitments from two key recruits at wide receiver and defensive line. Coach Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels are also top contenders for both prospects.

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. | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Don't blink. The final countdown is on for coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes to begin their season, but that hasn't diverted them from the recruiting trail.

A pair of key four-star Buffs recruiting prospects, wide receiver/defensive back CJ Sadler and defensive lineman Tufanua Inoatana Umu-Cais, are set to announce their commitments in the coming weeks.

"Coach Prime" has made clear he intends to round up about 20 high school commitments per year as he continues his tenure in Boulder. It's not the most conventional approach, as his eyes lie more on the transfer portal, but Colorado has prioritized quality over quantity when it comes to recruiting.

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders leaves the stage after speaking with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Umu-Cais will commit to a school on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT, live on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel. The state of Colorado's top prospect for 2026 is down to a final five of the Buffaloes, North Carolina Tar Heels, Oklahoma Sooners, UCLA Bruins and Washington Huskies.

In June, he also visited with the Colorado State Rams.

While prepping at Cherry Creek in nearby Englewood, Umu-Cais has established himself as a wrecking ball in the trenches. He's garnered offers from the Texas Longhorns, Miami Hurricanes and Tennessee Volunteers, but geared his recruitment more toward the West Coast.

Currently, the finalists' westerly sides have emerged, but the Buffs are still in the mix.

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"It has seemingly been a UCLA-Washington battle for Umu-Cais, but Colorado and North Carolina are still involved here," said 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman.

He'd be a massive addition to the Buffaloes' nucleus, especially following the hiring of defensive line coach Domata Peko. The NFL veteran was brought to Boulder by Sanders in part to help restore a pipeline of Polynesian talent and Colorado.

Nov 17, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Domata Peko Sr. (96) warms up prior to the game against the Houston Texans at M&T Bank Stadium. | Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

On the other hand, Sadler is slated to commit on Aug. 15 at 10 a.m. MT.

The four-star athlete from Cass Technical High School (Detroit, Michigan) is ranked No. 85 among his entire class by 247Sports, No. 7 among two-way talents and best in his state.

He'll be deciding between Colorado, North Carolina, Miami and the Maryland Terrapins. He officially visited with the Buffaloes on June 20, but coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels may be closing in on him.

"UNC seemingly pulled ahead in this race when he officially visited campus, per sources," Don Callahan of Inside Carolina reported. "Holding on, even beyond his announcement, will be the true task."

Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels new head coach Bill Belichick speaks to those attending his hiring announcement at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Predictably, Belichick has been a recruiting force since his earth-shaking hire by UNC this past offseason. His time spent as one of the NFL's greatest coaches is extremely attractive for high schoolers with pro aspirations.

However, Sanders is building a similar program in terms of preparation for the next level. Colorado currently has over 150 years of NFL experience on its coaching staff, with potential for more in Byron Leftwich and Mike Zimmer.

Sanders and Belichick may battle for top prospects for years to come, both bringing unique philosophies and backgrounds to the college game. Sadler and Umu-Cais are just two of countless bouts the gold jacket-wearers could have.