Buffs Beat

Deion Sanders Turns Iowa State Upset Into Recruiting Gold for Colorado

With Preston Ashley, Rodney Colton Jr., Christopher Talley, D'Montae Tims and other top recruits in attendance, the Colorado Buffaloes upset the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday. Coach Deion Sanders' biggest win may have come on the recruiting trail.
Jack Carlough|
Whitehaven’s Christopher Talley poses for a portrait at Collierville High School on July 15, 2025. Talley is on The Commercial Appeal's 2025 Dandy Dozen list, a collection of the top college football prospects from the 2026 class in the Memphis area as selected by the newspaper.
Whitehaven’s Christopher Talley poses for a portrait at Collierville High School on July 15, 2025. Talley is on The Commercial Appeal's 2025 Dandy Dozen list, a collection of the top college football prospects from the 2026 class in the Memphis area as selected by the newspaper. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Colorado BuffaloesIowa State Cyclones

BOULDER — The present and future of Colorado Buffaloes football look a little brighter after Saturday's upset win over the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones.

In front of a sold-out Folsom Field crowd, Colorado secured its first ranked win at home since 2019, blasting the Cyclones with the help of several clutch moments. Equally notable, the Buffs beat Iowa State with several highly-ranked recruits on hand.

"Great week as well for recruiting," coach Deion Sanders said after the 24-17 win. "I think we have some top recruits that we really want, high schoolers that we really, really, really, really want, and hopefully this win helps tremendously."

Top Recruits Watch Colorado Upset Iowa State

Why Deion Sanders Biggest Win Iowa State Recruiting End Preston Ashley Colorado Buffaloes Rodney Colton D'Montae Tims Talley
Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes fans celebrate defeating the Iowa State Cyclones at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Several elite class of 2026 prospects, including a few currently committed to the Buffs, were at Folsom Field for Colorado's second ranked win of the "Coach Prime" era. Below are a few of the more notable recruits who were in Boulder:

  • Four-star cornerback Preston Ashley (CU commit)
  • Four-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. (CU commit)
  • Four-star tight end Gavin Mueller (CU commit)
  • Three-star safety D'Montae Tims (CU commit)
  • Three-star running back Christopher Talley (West Virginia commit)
  • Three-star wide receiver Kai Meza

Ashley, Colton, Mueller and Tims appear locked in with the Buffs, but "Coach Prime" may have gained some momentum toward flipping Talley from West Virginia. A 5-foot-9, 175-pound running back from Tennessee, Talley committed to the Mountaineers in July and had previously checked out the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Meza is a 6-foot, 185-pound wide receiver from Utah who decommitted from Minnesota late last month. He also has visits scheduled with the Cal Golden Bears (Oct. 17-19) and the Kansas State Wildcats (Nov. 1-3), according to 247Sports.

“The game was absolutely amazing,” Meza told On3. “It came down to who wanted it more and Colorado showed that. Watching the speed of the game was super exciting and that’s something I wanna be around... Colorado stands as one of my top schools that I’m looking at."

MORE: What Kaidon Salter Said After Colorado Buffaloes' Massive Win Over No. 22 Iowa State

MORE: Deion Sanders Gets Candid After Colorado's Upset Win Over Iowa State

MORE: Biggest Winners, Losers from Colorado Win Over No. 22 Iowa State

MORE: Colorado Buffaloes' MVP Turns Heads In Upset Win Over Iowa State

Colorado Buffaloes Class of 2026 Commits

Why Deion Sanders Biggest Win Iowa State Recruiting End Preston Ashley Colorado Buffaloes Rodney Colton D'Montae Tims Talley
Carthage's Carson Crawford signals first down during the 4A DII UIL Texas State Football Championship game Waco La Vega on Friday, December 20, 2024 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. | Naomi Skinner/Times Record News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Including the four who visited Saturday, Colorado owns 13 class of 2026 commitments.

  • Four-star safety Preston Ashley (Brandon, Mississippi)
  • Four-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin (Bessemer, Alabama)
  • 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)

Colorado's 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 69 nationally and No. 14 in the Big 12 Conference.

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Jack Carlough
JACK CARLOUGH

Jack Carlough is lead reporter for Colorado Buffaloes on SI. Jack graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in journalism and minors in business and sports media. Born and raised in the Boulder area, Jack began covering Colorado athletics in 2018 and was the head sports editor of the CU Independent during his college career. More recently, he spent over three years as the managing editor of the USA Today Sports Network's Colorado Buffaloes Wire, where he covered Colorado's hiring of head football coach Deion Sanders. Other publications Jack has written for include the Boulder Daily Camera, Left Hand Valley Courier and SB Nation’s Ralphie Report. In 2022, the Colorado Press Association awarded Jack second place in its annual Class 5 Best Sports Column Writing category.

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