Deion Sanders' Biggest Recruiting Flex May Not Be Colorado's Ranking

The Colorado Buffaloes have rewritten the narrative attached to their recruiting methods, all thanks to their national outreach for recruits.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes find themselves creating more noise on the recruiting trail in the summer than previous years.

Colorado sat with a No. 78 ranking per On3/Rivals before the calendar flipped to May. The Buffaloes since have jumped 40 spots per the outlet. Even 247Sports handed CU a big leap; going from 65th in late April to No. 31 as of July 7.

But the biggest flex here isn't Coach Deion Sanders and Colorado winning over multiple four-stars in this 2027 cycle. It involves the national outreach when one peels back the layers on the Buffaloes' recruiting surge.

Colorado Buffaloes Assistants Showing Strong Eyes for Talent

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

Sanders isn't relying on landing backyard talent from the Rocky Mountains to build this class. Nor is he leaning solely into pilfering talent representing his home state of Florida, and convincing those recruits to embrace being 5,430 feet above sea level.

Colorado has turned to coast-to-coast tactics in building up its future recruiting class. Only this time Sanders has lured in assistants with a strong recruiting acumen from previous collegiate stops.

Case in point for director of recruiting Rashad Rich, who once chased after recruits at Penn State under then-head coach James Franklin. Rich's ties to the Keystone State helped play a key role in landing four-star safety from Pittsburgh Gabe Jenkins.

Director of player personnel Darrius Darden-Box is another responsible for building up this 2027 class. Darden-Box previously went after SEC talent at Vanderbilt, and that background has led the Buffaloes to win over recruits who were either recruited or committed to an SEC school: three-star edge rusher Ba'Roc Willis (ex-Alabama commit) and more recently, four-star tackle Dewey Young (turned down Vanderbilt and South Carolina).

"I'm loving what we're doing recruiting wise right now. We just changed the thought process in how we did it. I knew what I wanted. I know what we needed," Sanders told reporters at Big 12 Media Days held in Frisco, Texas on July 7. "And we're going to be even better."

Colorado's National Representation for 2027 Class

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) throws a pass during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado has reeled in 20 total verbal commits who represent 11 different states.

Three-star cornerback Will Rasmussen of Orem, Utah, is the furthest western prospect Colorado won over. From there, the Buffaloes tapped into Texas to pull in two Lone State State talents: three-star interior offensive lineman Jayin Talib (nephew of ex-NFL cornerback Aqib Talib), and fellow three-star cornerback Prince Washington, who was unranked before his Colorado commitment.

Sanders has trusted his assistants to dominate the south, though, even in front of SEC schools. Assistant offensive line coach Gunnar White is largely responsible here. White flipped three-star Ole Miss tackle commit Coderro McDaniel plus helped land four-star tackle Li'Marcus Jones. The collaboration of offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and running backs coach Johnnie Mack dipped into "The 'Sip" too to land three-star running back Kylan Bobo, who was offered by 27 different schools.

Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jones isn't the only Tennessee win for Colorado here. Four-star quarterback Andre Adams had Darden-Box and Marion running point on his recruitment. Three-star offensive lineman Kenny Fairley represents the lone Georgia area commit. Colorado created a Yellowhammer State following too by landing both Willis and fellow three-star edge rusher Jovon Pulliam, the latter from Hoover.

Florida rises as the state featuring the most Colorado commits, all three-stars: cornerback Davon Dericho (Miami), safety Samari Howard (Fort Lauderdale), tackle Zaquan Linton (Palm Beach Central), wideout Ryan Ferdinand (Palm Beach Lakes) and edge rusher Drew Sapp (Lakeland). Sanders is keeping the Sunshine State pipeline alive here.

But the Buffaloes have now stretched to the Palmetto State. Four-star wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray will gain a Mount Pleasant, South Carolina following after his May commitment. He even dipped out of his previous pledge to the Gamecocks.

Even the Buffaloes have hit up Big Ten country by landing talent hailing from Michigan (Young), Pennsylvania (Jenkins) and two from Ohio in linebackers Jahmiere Daniels-Portis and Kaylon Bailey, the latter two three-star prospects.

Colorado fans must wait until the 2027 season to see these recruits on display inside Folsom Field. But the Buffaloes have installed a renewed national following thanks to their revitalized high school recruiting methods.

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