Colorado Buffaloes Emerge As Losers of National Signing Day

The Colorado Buffaloes have the second to worst 2026 recruiting class ranked in the Big 12 conference ahead of only the Oklahoma State Cowboys. On national signing day, they lost a wide receiver to a commitment flip.

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sidelines late in the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes have one of the lowest ranked recruiting classes for 2026. Rivals ranks the Buffaloes with the 15th ranked recruiting class in the Big 12 out of 16 teams. The only one behind them is the Oklahoma State Cowboys. 

Colorado's 2026 Recruiting Class Ranked 15th in Big 12

Nov 29, 2025; Manhattan, Kansas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during the second quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-Imagn Images | Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Rivals ranked all 16 Big 12 teams based on their incoming 2026 recruiting classes and Colorado was second to last. On the flip side of things, the Texas Tech Red Raiders were ranked as having the best recruiting class in the conference.

The Red Raiders are the team to beat right now in the Big 12 and are recruiting at a high level. Colorado has work to do to catch up to Texas Tech. Texas Tech is coming off a 12-1 season where they won the Big 12 and earned the No. 4 ranking in the College Football Playoff. 

Colorado on the other hand had a very disappointing 2025 season. The Buffs went 3-9 overall and 1-8 in Big 12 conference play. They were unable to overcome the loss of two of their best players in the season prior in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter.

In 2024, Shedeur was named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year while Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy. They were each selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

MORE: Breaking Down Colorado's Updated Running Back Room

MORE: Projected Offensive Depth Chart for the Colorado Buffaloes Next Season

MORE: Deion Sanders Gives Blunt Response to Shedeur Sanders Pro Bowl Controversy

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Xavier McDonald Flips

Morton wide receiver Xavier McDonald has been named to the Clarion Ledger 2025 Dandy Dozen. | Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Colorado was the loser of a commitment flip on national signing day. Class of 2026 three-star recruit, wide receiver Xavier McDonald, who had been committed to Colorado since early December 2025, flipped his commitment and signed with the James Madison Dukes.

Meeting Colorado's Incoming Recruiting/Transfer Classes

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs onto the field before the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buffaloes have 15 recruits in the class of 2026. Out of these 15, only one is rated as a four-star recruit according to 247Sports. That player would be linebacker Carson Crawford. Crawford is a 6-3 linebacker out of Carthage, Texas. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 10 linebacker in the class of 2026.

Colorado will once again be heavily reliant on the transfer portal acquisitions. That has been a theme since Deion Sanders took over as Colorado coach in 2023.

In the portal, the Buffaloes will be bringing in a staggering 42 players in 2026. This includes three that are rated as four-star transfers per 247Sports: former Tennessee Volunteers safety Boo Carter, former Texas Longhorns linebacker Liona Lefau, and former Texas Longhorns wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.

A position that Colorado didn't have to worry about filling in the portal was quarterback. That starting quarterback role looks to belong to quarterback Julian Lewis. Lewis signed with the Buffaloes out of high school as a member of their 2025 recruiting class. Lewis showed promise in his handful of starts as a freshman.

Additionally, Lewis played in just four games so he was eligible to use to redshirt year.