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Deion Sanders, Colorado sign lowest-rated high school class in the Big 12

By December 3, 2025 | updated 3 hours ago

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA football game against TCU, Oct. 4, in Fort Worth, Texas. (The Associated Press)

There were no signing day fireworks in Boulder this year.

In his first three high school recruiting classes at Colorado, Deion Sanders was able to get one of the six highest-rated players, per 247sports, in program history. First, it was cornerback Cormani McClain, who’s now at Florida. Then, it was star left tackle Jordan Seaton. Last year, it was quarterback of the future Julian Lewis.

This year, however, the Buffaloes will not sign a five-star player from the high school ranks. After signing 10 players Wednesday, CU has the lowest-rated class in the Big 12, per 247sports, and it comes on the heels of the worst season (3-9 overall, 1-8 in conference play) of the Coach Prime era.

Sanders isn’t worried about a disappointing season affecting the class, however. He said near the end of the season that he expected to sign only about 10-15 high school players and again lean into the transfer portal when it opens in early January. 

“I don’t have to explain it; they saw it,” Sanders said. “If you’re a dog, you want to come here and right the wrong. If you’re a cat, you look at the scoreboard and you run. Which one are you, a dog or a cat?”

The most notable addition was four-star linebacker Carson Crawford out of Carthage, Texas. Rated by 247sports as the No. 202 overall player in the country and the No. 11 linebacker, Crawford should provide immediate help to a position group that struggled mightily in 2025.

Crawford is joined by another potential impact freshman, defensive back Preston Ashley, a four-star recruit from Mississippi.

The Buffs signed one junior college player and it’s a familiar name in Domata Peko Jr., son of CU defensive line coach Domata Peko. The younger Peko is one of the top-rated JUCO players in the country.

Despite a lack of local recruiting under Sanders, CU added one state standout in Loveland’s Josiah Manu, an offensive lineman who starred at Thompson Valley.

The Buffs’ class was lessened by three members in recent weeks as four-star tight end Gavin Mueller, four-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin and three-star safety D’Montae Tims all decommitted from CU in November.

“Sometimes you make a big deal out of the guys that decommit,” Coach Prime said. “Do you ever track them and see what they do with their careers? Start doing that and just see how that stuff plays out. We’re good.”

Colorado Buffaloes 2026 signing day roster

  • Four-star DB Preston Ashley (5-foot-11, 185 pounds, Brandon (Miss.) High School)
  • Three-star LB Rodney Colton Jr. (6-1, 225, Newnan (Ga.) High School)
  • Four-star LB Carson Crawford (6-4, 220, Carthage (Texas) High School)
  • Three-star OL Ben Gula (6-5, 285, Cypress Bay High School, Weston, Fla.)
  • Three-star LB Colby Johnson (6-2, 195, Eastlake High School, Sammamish, Wash.)
  • Three-star OL Josiah Manu (6-5, 295, Thompson Valley High School)
  • Three-star OL Xavier Payne (6-7, 320, Jones High School, Canandaigua, N.Y.)
  • Three-star DL Domata Peko Jr. (6-4, 235, Ventura College)
  • Three-star WR Christian Ward (6-3, 205, IMG Academy)
  • Three-star CB Mojo Williams Jr. (5-11, 170, Edna Karr High School, New Orleans)
Tyler King

Reporter

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