Dewey Young's Commitment Fuels Buffaloes Staff Recruiting Ranking Rise

Two Colorado Buffaloes coaching staff members rose in the Big 12 recruiter rankings following offensive lineman Dewey Young’s commitment.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Colorado Buffaloes landed the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Dewey Young on Monday, per Rivals, and it has been enormous for their 2027 class. Additionally, Colorado’s recruiters have seen individual rises of their own in the conference recruiter rankings.

Buffs director of player personnel Darius Darden-Box has re-entered the top 10, while offensive line coach Gunnar White has emerged as one of the best recruiters in the conference. Here’s a look at how Young’s commitment impacted Colorado’s recruiters and what it means for the coming months.

Gunnar White’s Recruiter Rankings Climb

Recruit Dewey Young of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was in attendance at the Ohio State football game against Minnesota at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 4, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

White has gone above and beyond for Colorado with his efforts in the 2027 class. He has been the primary recruiter on four of their 21 total commitments while still gearing up his current offensive line unit for the 2026 season.

Young was the latest of that group, as he spearheaded the Buffaloes’ pursuit of the blue-chip prospect. 

Without White, there’s no question that the Buffaloes would not be ranked as highly as they are on the national or conference levels. But in addition to the work he’s done for the team, he’s done a good deal of self-preservation. After losing the majority of his 2025 offensive line, which was the best of the Coach Prime Era, he needed a hard reset for the future.

Rather than having Darden-Box or Colorado’s director of recruiting, Rashad Rich, spend time chasing down offensive line recruits, White took the helm. He’s built up his own position group and allowed the Buffs’ personnel staff to focus on landing other big-name recruits.

Darius Darden-Box’s Recruiter Rankings Climb

Antioch's Andre Adams (10) passes the ball during the football game against Smyrna on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, at Antioch High School. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One such recruit is four-star quarterback Andre Adams, whom the Buffs landed a commitment from back in April, per 247Sports. Darden-Box took the lead on his recruiting process and assisted White in landing a commitment from Young. 

Darden-Box’s efforts will obviously be fruitful for the program, but he’s seen his own share of benefits from them. Namely, they were enough to boost him back to the No. 10 spot in 247Sports’ Big 12 recruiter rankings. The Buffs now have three recruiters within the top 10 because of this, and it is a representation of how impressive their work has been in the 2027 class.

Darden-Box was also the lead recruiter in the Buffs’ pursuit of safety Will Rasmussen, a three-star whom the Buffaloes landed a commitment from in May, per 247Sports.

The Colorado Buffaloes Big 12 Recruiting Competition

Sep 3, 2021; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boise State Broncos head coach Andy Avalos looks on against the UCF Knights during the second half at Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

While the program is competing with the likes of Kansas State and West Virginia in the Big 12 team rankings, both recruiters are neck-and-neck with other staff members across the conference.

Darden-Box is battling Kansas wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel and offensive line coach Daryl Agpalsa on the edge of the top 10. They sit one spot above and below Darden-Box, respectively, in the rankings, with three recruiting points or less separating the trio.

But as for White, he’s in pursuit of the top spot in the conference. The only man standing in his way is TCU Horned Frogs defensive coordinator Andy Avalos, who leads him by less than four recruiting points. If White can gain on Avalos in the coming months, he could solidify himself as the top recruiter in the Big 12, according to the site.

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