One Freshman Deion Sanders Will Have To Lean on After the NFL Draft

Following the 2026 NFL Draft, the Colorado Buffaloes will officially be without cornerback Preston Hodge after he was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.

Without Hodge, Colorado needs to find more depth at the cornerback position, and ideally, that would come in the form of a younger player who could contribute for several years with the Buffaloes.

So here is one freshman Colorado will have to lean on after the NFL Draft.

Cornerback Preston Ashley

After deciding to play for Colorado, freshman cornerback Preston Ashley could become one of the more important freshmen for the future of the Buffaloes' defense with Hodge now in the NFL.

Ashley provides great depth at the cornerback position, and with his success in high school, he could prove to be a very reliable starter at the college level.

In his high school career, at Brandon High School, Ashley recorded 203 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks, 14 pass breakups, three interceptions, one forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.

Throughout his career, Ashley consistently showed that he could be a contributor in all aspects of the game. He had great ball production and instincts in the secondary, allowing him to make plays on the ball and cause constant problems for opposing offenses.

Ashley also showed a willingness to make tackles, which is definitely something that the buffaloes could use after a frustrating season against the run, as they allowed 222.5 rush yards per game.

Overall, Ashley provides a great depth piece for the buffaloes, and as he develops to the collegiate level, he could make an impact as soon as this season to help Colorado compete with other teams in the Big 12 and potentially make a run at a conference title.

Great Potential For Success

A major reason why Ashley has a great opportunity to succeed is the coaching that he has available in Boulder.

That starts with Colorado Coach Deion Sanders who is one of the best cornerbacks in NFL history, as he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This offseason, Sanders has decided to become a lot more hands-on and, as a result, has been more involved with the corners to teach them technique and what kind of mindset to have.

Ashley also has the benefit of getting coached by Kevin Mathis, who serves as the Buffaloes' defensive backs coach. Mathis has plenty of experience in the NFL as well and is a great mentor for Ashley to develop during his freshman year.

At the head of the defense is defensive coordinator Chris Marve, who also has experience as a player after playing at the Division 1 level with Vanderbilt. Marve is going into his second stint as a defensive coordinator after spending two seasons with Virginia Tech.

Marve has been known to propagate versatility across the board on his defense as well as push a standard of violence, physicality, and speed. With the Buffaloes establishing a new culture, Marve could be one of the better role models to lead a defense and mentor young players like Ashley.

With Ashley’s talent and physical traits, in addition to the mentors he has at Colorado with Sanders, Mathis, and Marve, Ashley could have a successful freshman season and become one of the Buffaloes' best defensive players under Coach Prime.

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