Colorado Suffers Big Recruiting Hit As 4-Star Defensive Lineman Decommits

Amid the lowest point of the coach Deion Sanders era, the Colorado Buffaloes have now lost their highest-rated commit of the upcoming recruiting class.

On Tuesday morning, class of 2026 defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin announced his decommitment from the Buffs via social media, although he refrained from sharing any reasoning. Ruffin is a four-star prospect from Bessemer, Alabama, who committed to the Buffs in mid-September.

"After much prayer and consideration, I want to take a moment to thank my family, friends, and teammates for always supporting me throughout this journey," Ruffin wrote. "I'd also like to thank the University of Colorado and their staff for believing in me and recruiting me. With that being said, I have decided to decommit from (the) University of Colorado."

Emanuel Ruffin Decommits From Colorado

Colorado Suffers Recruiting Hit 4-Star Defensive Lineman Decommits Emanuel Ruffin 2026 Class Prospect Deion Sanders Football — Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the second quarter against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 295 pounds, Ruffin has so far recorded 40 total tackles, including two for a loss, and one sack for Bessemer City High School. He totaled over 50 tackles in each of the past two seasons as well, becoming one of the highest-ranked defensive linemen in his recruiting class.

Ruffin visited the Missouri Tigers last month and has also received interest from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, LSU Tigers and Ohio State Buckeyes. According to Rivals, Ruffin is now the highest-ranked uncommitted defensive lineman in his class.

Colorado is now down to 12 commitments for the class of 2026, with three-star Domata Peko Jr. being the lone remaining defensive lineman.

Deion Sanders' Message To Recruits

After Colorado fell to 3-6 over the weekend, "Coach Prime" was asked to share his message to recruits who may be second-guessing their commitment to Colorado.

"I don't have to explain it, they saw it," Sanders said. "You gotta understand, if you're a dawg, you want to come here and right the wrong. If you're a cat, you look at the scoreboard and you run. Which one are you? A dawg or a cat?"

MORE: Freshman Cornerback Leaves Colorado Buffaloes Midway Through Season

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MORE: Biggest Winners And Losers From Colorado’s Embarrassing Loss To Arizona

Colorado Buffaloes Class of 2026 Commits

Colorado's 2026 recruiting class dropped about 10 spots in 247Sports' national rankings (now No. 78) but is still ranked No. 14 in the Big 12 Conference.

Four-star safety Preston Ashley (Brandon, Mississippi)
Four-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. (Newnan, Georgia)
Three-star tight end Gavin Mueller (South Elgin, Illinois)
Three-star linebacker Colby Johnson (Sammamish, Washington)
Three-star EDGE Domata Peko Jr. (Ventura, California)
Three-star cornerback Maurice Williams (New Orleans, Louisiana)
Three-star offensive tackle Xavier Payne (Miami, Florida)
Three-star linebacker Carson Crawford (Carthage, Texas)
Three-star safety D'Montae Tims (Seffner, Florida)
Three-star offensive lineman Ben Gula (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Three-star offensive tackle Josiah Manu (Loveland, Colorado)
Three-star wide receiver Christian Ward (Bradenton, Florida, via Carrollton, Georgia)

Also of note, Colorado landed its first class of 2027 commitment on Tuesday in four-star wide receiver Alex Ward. Ward was previously committed to Alabama and is the younger brother of 2026 commit Christian Ward.