Colorado Coach Gunnar White Takes Buffaloes Recruiting Push to Familiar State

Colorado offensive line coach Gunnar White’s latest recruiting destination offers a clue to how the Buffaloes can build on several commitments with a shared connection.

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against Weber State at Folsom Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes offensive line coach Gunnar White has good reason to keep returning to Mississippi. Several players with ties to his home state have committed to Colorado, and the bye week offers another opportunity to strengthen those relationships.

With Utah visiting Boulder Oct. 17, White shared an “On the Road” graphic on X showing a route from Boulder to Jackson, Mississippi. The post announces a recruiting destination without naming the prospects or schools on his itinerary.

Coach Deion Sanders identified Mississippi as Gunnar White’s recruiting territory in August. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

For Colorado, the value of that trip goes beyond finding another name for the recruiting board. White has connections in a state where the Buffaloes must persuade players to leave familiar surroundings for a program far from home.

Gunnar White returns to familiar ground

White followed coach Deion Sanders from Jackson State to Boulder and took over Colorado’s offensive line before the 2025 season. His Mississippi background gives the Buffaloes a personal connection when competing for recruits there.

🦬👀 pic.twitter.com/lHRvZYEfSM

— Gunnar White (@Coach_Gunnar) October 7, 2026

“Obviously, Gunnar coming up in Mississippi, that’s his zone,” Sanders said during an August press conference, explaining how he divided recruiting responsibilities among his assistants.

Offensive tackle Coderro McDaniel offers a clear example. The Bookhaven prospect flipped his commitment from Ole Miss to Colorado in June after visiting Boulder. White is from nearby Terry, Mississippi, giving the two common ground before McDaniel considered leaving the state.

Tupelo's Jaeden Hill (0) hands off to Kylan Bobo (29) during play in Brandon, Miss., Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Coach Gunnar’s a Mississippi guy, so he gets where I’m coming from,” McDaniel told BuffStampede in a recent interview.

For a recruit weighing a move away from home, having a coach who understands his background can help make that move feel less uncertain.

Colorado has more reasons to keep recruiting Mississippi

McDaniel is joined in Colorado’s 2027 class by offensive tackle Li’Marcus Jones, who played at Jackson’s Callaway High School before transferring to Brentwood Academy in Tennessee. Running back Kylan Bobo of Tupelo is also committed.

Those commitments give White something concrete to discuss with other prospects. Colorado can point to players from the region who have chosen Boulder, rather than asking every family to consider that move without any local examples.

There is interest beyond the 2027 group, too. Interior offensive line prospect Tanner Seaton of Madison Central included Colorado in his final five in August alongside LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Memphis.

Colorado is the only program in that group outside the Southeast. Seaton’s interest helps explain why continued recruiting in the Jackson area makes sense, although White’s post does not establish that Seaton is a stop on this particular trip.

Gunnar White looks beyond the next game

Sep 19, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive lineman Xavier Payne (72)) takes the field for warmups before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The current roster also provides a recruiting argument. True freshman offensive lineman Xavier Payne made his first career start against No. 12 Texas Tech before the bye, showing that young players can earn opportunities in Boulder.

Signing high school linemen and developing them should help Colorado build more continuity up front. Keeping those players is the next step if the Buffaloes want fewer positions to refill through transfers each offseason.

White described the push toward high school recruiting in August: “It starts with Coach Prime,” he said. “He wanted to set a mission for the recruiting to be different.”

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