Colorado's Hire of Brennan Marion Paying Off in Recruiting

The Colorado Buffaloes are one of the finalists for class of 2027 recruit, wide receiver Jaden Baldwin.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes are one of the finalists for class of 2027 recruit, wide receiver Jaden Baldwin. 

Jaden Baldwin Narrowing Down Schools

Basha’s Jaden Baldwin wears his second-place medal during the AIA Divisional State Track and Field Championships at Red Mountain High School in Mesa on May 9, 2026. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jaden Baldwin is a 5-11, 185 pound wide receiver out of Chandler, Arizona. He is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 63 wide receiver in the class of 2027. As a junior for Basha High School during the 2025-26 season, Baldwin had 64 receptions for 820 yards and six touchdowns. 

Colorado is one of four finalists for Baldwin along with the Iowa State Cyclones, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Pittsburgh Panthers. Baldwin recently spoke to Rivals’ national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman about where he stands in his recruitment. Colorado’s new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion is a big reason why the Buffs are in the picture.

“Colorado’s go-go offense is exciting because it creates space for receivers to play fast, make explosive plays, and showcase their ability all over the field,” Baldwin said. “Their offense allows you to showcase your entire skill set, which excites me a lot.”

The Buffaloes made a splash this offseason when they hired Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator. Colorado ranked second to last in the Big 12 in points scored last season and needed to make a change. Marion was the head coach of the Sacramento State Hornets, in 2025. His offense is known as the go-go.

Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Marion was only there one season, leading the Hornets to a 7-5 record right as they were coming off a 3-9 2024 season. Marion’s Hornets averaged 33.8 points per game. While 33.8 points per game is an unrealistic goal for a first year in there Big 12, there is reason for optimism that Colorado can at least bump their average point total per game from 20 in 2025 to the upper 20’s in 2026.

It appears that Colorado’s starting quarterback this season will be redshirt freshman Julian Lewis. Lewis played in a handful of games for the Buffs last season and showed promise. The former five-star recruit threw for four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Colorado had major quarterback issues in 2025 and it was a big reason why they ended up going 3-9 and missing a bowl game. Colorado coach Deion Sanders will now turn to Lewis to hopefully be the every week starter. 

Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) rushes with the ball during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Buffs have failed to make a bowl game in two of Coach Prime’s first three seasons in Boulder. Will that trend change in 2026?

Colorado 2026 season will kick off on the road against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Thursday, Sept. 3. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Colorado and Georgia Tech faced off last season to start the season in Boulder. Georgia Tech prevailed late and won by a final score of 27-20. 

Two of the Buffaloes three wins last season came against non-power conference teams. In 2026, they just have one team on the schedule that isn’t a power conference opponent. That team would be Weber State.

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