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Colorado Commit Jaiden Kelly-Murray Builds Recruiting Buzz in Season Debut

The Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver recruit will win over his future fans in diving deeper into his 2026 opener.
Lorenzo Reyna|
Jaiden Kelly-Murray, 2027 wide receiver Summerville High School and from Goose Creek, SC arrives for the 2025 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Jaiden Kelly-Murray, 2027 wide receiver Summerville High School and from Goose Creek, SC arrives for the 2025 Dabo Swinney Football Camp in Clemson, S.C. Tuesday, June 3, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina

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Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes may have a future matchup nightmare at their disposal moving forward.

Colorado and coach Deion Sanders first grabbed eyeballs in May by winning over four-star wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray, a one-time South Carolina commit. Many recruiting analysts raved about the Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, prospect's game, especially in scrutinizing Kelly-Murray's yards-after-catch (YAC) prowess.

Kelly-Murray proved how much of a mismatch he is on the field, thanks to delivering an epic 2026 regular-season debut at his high school despite the loss.

Jaiden Kelly-Murray Torched His Opponent in Multiple Ways

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders College Football Recruiting TCU Horned Frogs Big 12 Jymel Green Jaiden Kelly-Murray
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders runs on the field before the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Kelly-Murray's Oceanside took a 41-21 loss at the hands of James Island High on Aug. 21. Yet the future Buffaloes wideout stole the show for his team.

Oceanside Collegiate Academy aligned him at the slot receiver spot to start the game. He set the tone from there. Kelly-Murray caught a short pass that turned into a 20-plus-yard gain, thanks to faking out the first defender with his elusiveness and then forcing three more defenders to miss him before getting tussled near their own 47-yard line.

Oceanside then got Kelly-Murray aligned to the left in a stacked formation, allowing him to work the middle and trust his power to get close to the first down marker. He showed rare power too, as his 170-pound frame forced three defenders to bring him down as he kept his legs moving.

He later put one defender in a spin cycle on his first deep reception of the evening. He starts off selling his route before turning up toward the sidelines, drawing a one-on-one with a safety. Kelly-Murray ends up touching the sideline, but not before spinning out of a would-be tackler's grasp.

Kelly-Murray split the defense twice on his two touchdowns, outracing defenders into the end zone on a red-zone lob, then turning on a second gear to score the 71-yard touchdown that saw him leave three defenders in the dust. The Colorado commit ended his night catching seven passes for 160 yards and delivered 200 all-purpose yards, per his social media post.

Why Colorado Fans Should Be Energized for Jaiden Kelly-Murray

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Big 12 College Football Recruiting Jaiden Kelly-Murray Brennan Marion Julian Lewis
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Kelly-Murray attacked James Island despite facing constant double and triple teams, plus bracketed coverage. And he did that without his high school running any "Go-Go" offensive looks.

Just imagine that speed getting intertwined with offensive coordinator Brennan Marion's scheme in the future. Kelly-Murray will head to an offense that draws way more solo matchups, handing him an early edge to win off of footraces and elusiveness.

Marion himself played a pivotal role in helping convince the one-time SEC prospect to head to Boulder. Kelly-Murray enters the high school season as Colorado's highest-ranked skill position player on offense per 247Sports (for non-quarterbacks).

But speaking of quarterbacks, fellow 2027 commitment Andre Adams put on his own show at Antioch High down in Tennessee. Except Adams showed off his mobility in racking up an astonishing 248 rushing yards for his school's 20-7 win over Mount Juliet. Adams and Kelly-Murray put together two of the more dominating outings among Colorado's 2027 class to kick off the prep season, fueling new energy for Buffalo fans about the future of the program.

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Lorenzo Reyna
LORENZO REYNA

Lorenzo J Reyna is a sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Colorado Buffaloes On SI. He brings nearly two decades of sports writing experience, including coverage of Cal, Stanford, San Jose State and Fresno State for 247Sports. He also wrote about an incoming high school freshman named Jayden Daniels before he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Washington Commanders. Also known as "Zo" to his colleagues, his other writing credits include ClutchPoints, Athlon Sports, Roundtable, the Santa Maria Times and freelanced once for the Los Angeles Times. He enjoys living near a beach, having multiple cups of coffee, and listening to old school R&B/Hip-Hop in his down time.

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