Colorado Buffaloes Offer Elite Receiver Recruit

The Colorado Buffaloes are looking to add to their 2027 recruiting class with a tall receiver prospect.

Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Since the Colorado Buffaloes landed a commitment from class of 2027 quarterback Andre Adams on April 14, they have been targeting receiver prospects to add alongside him.

On Wednesday, the Buffaloes extended an offer to three-star recruit Jay Rawls, a receiver with an impressive frame who would be a great option out wide for the Buffs’ elite quarterback process.

Jay Rawls’s high school career

CU football head coach Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime, watches his team warm up before the game against CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown at Canvas Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Fort Collins, Colo. | Cris Tiller/For the Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rawls’s high school career has been all but regular. He is preparing to play at his third school in as many years, as he transferred to the Desert Edge High School Scorpions in Goodyear, Arizona, during the offseason. 

Prior to that, he played his junior season with the East Marion High School Eagles in Columbia, Mississippi, but only three games' worth of stats were recorded. In those three games, Rawls recorded 14 catches for 193 yards and three touchdowns, good for an average of 13.8 yards per catch.

As a sophomore, he was with the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School Eagles, located in Rabun Gap, Georgia. Similar to his stats at East Marion, his sophomore numbers weren’t fully recorded. Another limited sample of three games is available from that season, in which he recorded four catches for 57 yards and two touchdowns for an average of 14.3 yards per catch.

Rawls has still caught the eye of scouts, though, with Rivals listing him as a three-star recruit, the No. 36 player in the state of Arizona, the No. 165 wide receiver and the No. 1,262 overall recruit in the class of 2027. 

Who the Buffaloes are battling for Jay Rawls

Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes running back Daniel Bray (13) runs after a catch Colorado Buffaloes defensive back D.J. McKinney (8) during the first quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Rawls has received six Division 1 offers despite not yet playing his senior season, five of which come from FBS programs.

Although he received some early interest from the Virginia Tech Hokies and Texas Tech Red Raiders, the first team to extend an offer to Rawls was the UMass Minutemen on Feb. 10, 2026. 

Since then, the FBS attention has been rolling in, as Sacramento State, California, Utah and now Colorado have sent scholarship offers his way.

After a great conversation with @Coach_Gunnar I am blessed to receive my 8th D1 offer from @CUBuffsFootball !@AZcoachHenri @DEdgeFootball pic.twitter.com/UtGrZFntEz

— Jay Rawls ‘27 3⭐️ (@Jayrawlss) April 29, 2026

Colorado’s primary competition as it stands comes from across the Big 12 in the Utah Utes. Utah is a bit closer to his new home in Arizona, and has a 28.1 percent chance to land his commitment according to Rivals, as opposed to Colorado’s 24.6 percent chance. 

Jay Rawls' Potential at Colorado

Antioch's Andre Adams (10) passes the ball during their game at Clarksville High School Friday, Oct. 24, 2025. | Alan Poizner/For The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is apparent from Rawls’s frame and film what he brings to the table and why he’s received so much FBS attention despite his irregular high school career.

As a junior in high school, Rawls stands 6-6 and weighs 195 pounds. He clearly knows how to use his frame to his advantage, as can be seen in his high school and 7-on-7 film. He is a rangy receiver with an impressive vertical who wins nearly all of his one-on-one opportunities against smaller high school defensive backs.

He’s the first receiver of this body type the Buffaloes have targeted in their 2027 recruiting process so far. He would be the first true deep threat for Adams if coach Deion Sanders and his staff can land a commitment.

Although new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s patented ‘Go-Go’ offense doesn’t use the deep ball much, it was displayed in Colorado’s recent spring game just how lethal deep routes can be when they are used in the scheme.

The Buffs currently use the plus speed of their receivers to win these routes, but a receiver like Rawls, who can win deep routes based on his size, could add a whole other layer to the offense.

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