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Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting Targets Set to Announce Commitments on July 5

The Colorado Buffaloes are in the running for a pair of class of 2026 recruits; defensive lineman Manoah Faupusa and safety D’Montae “Chico” Tims. Both of them are set to make their commitment announcement on July 5. Will Deion Sanders land both of them?
Cory Pappas|
Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warmup prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warmup prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images | Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

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Colorado BuffaloesArizona WildcatsMissouri Tigers

The Colorado Buffaloes are finalists for class of 2026 recruits defensive lineman Manoah Faupusa and safety D’Montae “Chico” Tims. Both Faupusa and Tims will be announcing their commitments on Saturday, July 5. 

Manoah Faupusa Player Profile

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and place kicker Buck Buchanan (43) during the sp
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and place kicker Buck Buchanan (43) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Manoah Faupusa is a 6-2, 310 pound defensive lineman out of Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Faupusa is rated as three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 90 defensive lineman in the class of 2026 by 247Sports. 

Faupusa is set to announce his commitment on his Instagram live on July 5 at 2:30 pm PT. The three finalists are the Colorado Buffaloes, Arizona Wildcats, and Missouri Tigers. 

D’Montae “Chico” Tims Player Profile

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

D’Montae “Chico” Tims is a 6-0, 195 pound safety out of Seffner, Florida. Tims is rated as a three-star recruit and ranked as the No. 94 safety in the class of 2026 by 247Sports Composite rankings. 

Tims previously committed to the Missouri Tigers in early April of 2025, but decommitted on May 8. Since then, he has recently gone on official visits to the Colorado Buffaloes, Louisville Cardinals, Missouri Tigers, and Vanderbilt Commodores. 

Colorado Buffaloes 2026 Recruiting Class

The Colorado Buffaloes have been fairly quiet in recruiting for the class of 2026. So far, Deion Sanders has only received the commitments from five recruits; four-star safety Preston Ashley, three-star tight end Gavin Mueller, three-star linebacker Colby Johnson, three-star athlete Domata Peso Jr, and three-star cornerback Maurice Williams. 

This class is ranked No. 101 in the country according to 247Sports. 

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MORE: Colorado Buffaloes Flip 4-Star Cornerback Recruit As Deion Sanders Finds Momentum

Colorado To Heavily Rely on Transfer Portal in 2026?

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) a
Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Since taking over as Buffaloes coach in 2023, Coach Prime has relied heavily on the transfer portal. It appears that is going to be the case again in 2026. 

Colorado has had major success in the portal. When Deion Sanders took the Colorado job, he brought with him from Jackson State to Colorado wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. These two helped completely change the trajectory of the Colorado Buffaloes football program.

Hunter and Sanders became two of the most popular players in all of college football the second they took the field in Boulder. Travis Hunter wowed the nation with his elite play on both offense and defense. Sanders on the other hand was one of the most exciting quarterbacks to watch in the land.

In 2024, Colorado went 9-3 in the regular season. They earned a berth in the Alamo Bowl, where they fell to the BYU Cougars. Travis Hunter took home the Heisman Trophy while Shedeur Sanders win the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award. Hunter and Sanders were selected in the 2025 NFL Draft and will get their rookie seasons' underway this fall.

Hunter was taken No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars while Sanders was a fifth round selection by the Cleveland Browns.

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Cory Pappas
CORY PAPPAS

Cory Pappas is sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Oregon Ducks On SI. Since starting in March of 2024, he has been writing breaking news stories, game previews, game recaps, and more across College Sports, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics for Total Apex Sports. In addition to writing, Cory is also a sports data scout for Sportradar. He covers live sporting events ranging from college athletics to semi-pro and professional. Before joining the industry, Cory graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022. He ran track for Oregon's club Track and Field team. Before Oregon, he played varsity basketball and track and field in high school in Walnut Creek, CA. Cory is using his lifelong passion for sports and writing together.

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