Every Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting Visit Expected vs. Weber State

The Colorado Buffaloes host Weber State with more than 70 in-state prospects expected at Folsom Field.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes had sold nearly 43,000 tickets for Saturday’s home opener as of Sept. 8, per Brian Howell of On3/Rivals. A few of those seats will belong to teenagers the program may still be recruiting years from now.

BuffStampede reported that more than 70 in-state prospects are expected at Folsom Field for the Weber State game and highlighted five visitors from the 2027, 2028, and 2029 classes. It is a much longer recruiting runway for a staff that leaned heavily on the transfer portal while building Colorado’s first rosters under Colorado coach Deion Sanders.

More than 42,500 tickets had been sold for Saturday’s home opener as of Sept. 8. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Gabe Jenkins Arrives Already Committed

Jenkins is a 6-2, 187-pound safety at Imani Christian Academy in Pittsburgh and one of the top names in Colorado’s 2027 class. 247Sports rates him as a four-star prospect, and he committed to the Buffaloes on May 20 after an official visit to Boulder.

He chose Colorado over Penn State, Michigan and Georgia after previously being committed to the Nittany Lions. Saturday gives CU another game-day touchpoint with a player that other programs can continue recruiting until he signs officially.

Jenkins is part of a Colorado class that has climbed into the national top 40 with 20 commitments. He will not be the only 2027 visitor in Boulder, either.

Defensive lineman Xavier Brooks of Laguna Beach High School in California is expected to make the trip as well. Colorado offered Brooks on Aug. 21, and BuffStampede credited him with 25 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks through his first three games this season. CU is his only reported offer, giving the staff another chance to establish an early relationship.

Lamont Lester Jr. recorded three sacks in Colorado’s season-opening win at Georgia Tech | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Theo Lee and Colton Ott Only Need a Short Drive

Lee is a 2028 quarterback at Arapahoe High School in Littleton, close enough to Boulder to have made his interest visible. A 9News reporter photographed him in a Colorado towel and Buffaloes cleats before an Arapahoe game in Week 1.

His play has given the staff more to watch. Lee threw seven touchdown passes in a Week 2 win after Colorado offered him in June, and Saturday gives him another look at the program during a live game day.

Fairview offensive lineman Colton Ott has an even shorter trip. The Boulder prospect holds offers from Colorado, Georgia Tech, Kansas, and Kansas State, and BuffStampede reported that he will make the short drive from Boulder to Folsom Field. His visit gives the weekend another local piece at a position Colorado has rebuilt heavily through the portal.

Colorado’s Board Now Reaches Into 2029

Chris Marve’s defensive front earned Pro Football Network’s top Week 1 grade. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The early Sanders roster builds leaned heavily on transfers, but the current high school board looks different. Colorado signed 14 high school players in its 2025 class, while the 2027 group now carries 20 commitments before the first home game of this new season.

The 2027 class includes four-star quarterback Andre Adams, four-star receiver Jaiden Kelly Murray and offensive linemen Li’Marcus Jones and Dewey Young. With 2028 and 2029 prospects coming through Folsom Field too, Colorado is working beyond the next signing cycle and giving itself more time to evaluate young talents.

Sophomore Jayden Bates is Already a Four-Star Recruit

The youngest headliner on the list does not graduate until 2029. Bates is a 6-4, 230-pound edge rusher at Cherry Creek High School, rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 edge rusher in the 2029 class and the top prospect in Colorado.

He came to the Front Range from Minnesota, which makes the in-state label a recent development rather than a birthright. Keeping a player with that profile close to home is the kind of recruiting opportunity Colorado wants to create more often.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado has not offered Bates yet, according to BuffStampede, while Wisconsin, Georgia Tech, Auburn, and Colorado State have. The visit gives CU a close look at one of the state’s top young defenders, while Bates gets to watch defensive coordinator Chris Marve’s front in person.

The timing suits the pitch. Bates gets a close look at a defensive line that Pro Football Network graded the best in the country after Week 1, with Colorado edge rusher Lamont Lester Jr.’s three sacks leading the way.

247Sports analyst TJ Randall has filed an early evaluation on Bates, and it helps to explain why a high school sophomore is drawing this kind of attention.

“Big, long, and strong,” Randall wrote, also pointing to a relentless motor and hand power that can create knockback against older competition.

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