Tracking Deion Sanders's success in Colorado's 2027 recruiting class
- Various Authors
- Jul 10
- 11 min read
Updated: Jul 25
Written By: Jake Chau and Shane Holcombe
Despite not yet being into the 2026 regular season, Coach Deion “Prime” Sanders has been gearing up for the future with the class of 2027.
His recruiting touch has Colorado as the 33rd-best recruiting class in the nation and third-best behind Texas Tech and Kansas State in the Big 12, according to 247Sports. Its five blue-chip prospects are the second-best mark in the conference, behind only Texas Tech’s 12.
Sanders pulled eventual Heisman Trophy winner and five-star prospect Travis Hunter away from Florida State to HBCU Jackson State with that touch and is looking to put together a squad that will fit new offensive coordinator Brennan Marrion’s “Go-Go” offense.
Here is a comprehensive list of all the Buffaloes' recruits from the class of 2027:
Dewey Young (6-foot-4 / 325 lbs)
Four-star Interior Offensive Lineman
Committed: 7/6/26
Other Offers: Georgia Tech, Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina
Young is a recruiting gem for Sanders, who beat out top-tier schools like Georgia and Ohio State. The Four-star was ranked in the top 10 recruits from the state of Michigan and also played baseball for Kalamazoo Central High School. Gabe Brooks’ scouting analysis for 247 Sports mentions the strength of Young, who will often finish blocks to the ground and works well as a rush blocker. This skill set boasts high pro potential and will certainly fit well into the “Go-Go” offensive scheme, should he see any playing time next year. Colorado offered Young back in April 2025, just three days after defending national champions, Indiana. Young visited once in May 2026 and committed to be a Buffalo nearly two months later.
Kylan Bobo (5-foot-11 / 200 lbs)
Three-star Running Back
Committed: 7/1/26
Other Offers: Ole Miss, Arkansas, Minnesota, Toledo
Bobo committed to the Buffs on July 1 and was Sanders’ 19th total commit from the class of 2027. Bobo is a top-25 recruit from Mississippi. He recorded over 1,700 rushing yards on nearly 200 carries for 28 touchdowns in his junior year at Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi. The running back also recorded an 11.12-second 100-yard dash time and a 22.69-second 200-yard dash time. This comes as Steven Alexis, another running back, flipped his commitment from Colorado to Illinois in mid-June. Bobo unofficially visited Boulder, Colorado, in March and had an official visit in June ahead of his commitment on July 1, 2026.
Ryan Ferdinand (6-foot-1 / 190 lbs)
Three-star Wide Receiver
Committed: 6/26/26
Other Offers: NC State, Pittsburgh, UCF, Florida State
Ferdinand was the third recruit Sanders landed during the final week of June and offers an explosive presence. He recorded 755 receiving yards on 57 receptions for seven touchdowns in his junior year. Ferdinand is from West Palm Beach, Florida, and attends Palm Beach Lakes High School. Ferdinand visited campus in early June before committing on the 26th.
Kaylon Bailey (6-foot-2 / 225 lbs)
Three-star EDGE
Committed: 6/25/26
Other Offers: Ohio State, West Virginia, Louisville, USF
Bailey is the third edge Sanders has attracted to Boulder, Colorado, this recruiting cycle, marking an emphasis on the position in upcoming years. Bailey is strongest as a pass-rusher from Glenville High School, winning the OHSAA Division IV State Championship last year. Bailey had an official visit on June 12, before committing on the 25th.
Jahmiere Daniels-Portis (6-foot / 210 lbs)
Three-star Linebacker
Committed: 6/24/26
Other Offers: Cincinnati, Indiana, NC State, Illinois
Daniels-Portis recorded 88 total tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles, five sacks and two interceptions as a defensive presence from Springfield High School in Springfield, Ohio. The three-star linebacker is another addition to Sanders’ defense, a clear priority this recruiting cycle. Daniels-Portis had his official visit on June 12, alongside Bailey, before committing to play for Coach Sanders nearly two weeks later.
Coderro McDaniel (6-foot-5 / 325 lbs)
Three-star Offensive Tackle
Committed: 6/14/26
Other Offers: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Kansas
McDaniel flipped his commitment from Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss to Sanders’ Buffaloes on June 14. McDaniel offers good size and strength to an offensive line that Sanders has been building in the latest recruiting cycle. McDaniel played snaps on both sides of the ball and recorded six tackles as a defensive lineman. The Three-star was a two-time state champion from Brookhaven, Mississippi, as a freshman and sophomore, but finished fourth this past year. McDaniel is a top-15 recruit from the state of Mississippi. On the same day that McDaniel had an official visit with Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss, McDaniel committed to play for Coach Sanders.
Drew Sapp (6-foot-3 / 250 lbs)
Three-star EDGE
Committed: 6/14/26
Other Offers: Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, FAU, FIU
Sapp helped Lakeland High School to a 5A FHSAA state championship appearance, notching 74 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles. Sapp was the ninth defensive addition Sanders made from the 2027 class. Sapp committed to play for Colorado two days after his official visit. He also had an official visit to Mississippi State on June 19.
Jayin “Boogie” Talib (6-foot-1 / 265 lbs)
Three-star Interior Offensive Lineman
Committed: 6/14/26
Other Offers: Texas Tech, NC State, Texas State, Sacramento State
Jayin Talib, the nephew of former Super Bowl champion with the Denver Broncos, Aqib Talib, was the third offensive lineman Sanders added from the 2027 class. He will join his older brother, Yamil, in Boulder. Jayin Talib played on both sides of the ball, another versatile option for Sanders. Talib also committed to Colorado two days after his official visit on June 12.
Samari Howard (5-foot-11 / 170 lbs)
Three-star Safety
Committed: 6/7/26
Other Offers: Pittsburgh, Florida State, Ohio State, Georgia Tech
Howard is the second safety commitment Sanders landed in the 2027 recruiting class. He recorded 34 tackles, four pass breakups, and three interceptions in his junior season at St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. CU was the first school to offer Howard back in January 2025. A year and a half later, he committed to the Black and Gold over schools like Indiana and Oregon.
Zaquan Linton (6-foot-6 / 290 lbs)
Three-star Offensive Tackle
Committed: 6/6/26
Other Offers: Louisville, Miami, Florida, Pittsburgh
Linton is another offensive lineman whom Sanders landed from the class of 2027, shaping an identity around the “Go-Go” offense of Brennan Marrion. The three-star is another multi-sport athlete who will be wearing the black and gold after this coming year. Linton was committed to last year’s national champion runner-ups, the Miami Hurricanes, since July 2025, but decommitted in April of 2026. One day after his official visit to Boulder, Linton committed to be a Buff.
Jovon Pulliam (6-foot-1 / 230 lbs)
Three-star EDGE
Committed: 6/6/26
Other Offers: Wake Forest, Boston College, USF, Appalachian State
The Hoover, Alabama native is another powerful edge rusher Sanders recruited to Colorado for the following season. Pulliam finished his junior year at Hoover High School with 91 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Pulliam has had official visits to Appalachian State and Tulane since committing to Colorado.
Jaiden Kelly-Murray (5-foot-10 / 170 lbs)
Four-star Wide Receiver
Committed: 5/25/26
Other Offers: South Carolina, Auburn, Florida, Virginia Tech
Kelly-Murray is another addition at a skill position who can play all over the field. From Summerville, South Carolina, the four-star can play in the slot, return kicks, play in the run game and has upside on the defensive side of the ball. He has recorded over 150 receptions for north of 2,250 yards and nearly 30 touchdowns over his past 27 games at Oceanside Collegiate Academy. Kelly-Murray also notched over 300 rushing yards on nearly 50 carries across that span as well as 10 tackles and two interceptions on defense. Given Sanders’ track record with players who can do it all, Buff fans have plenty of reason to be excited about Kelly-Murray. He has had official visits to Wake Forest, Illinois, Duke, Virginia Tech, South Carolina twice and has come back to Boulder since committing in late May.
Li’Marcus Jones (6-foot-5 / 285 lbs)
Four-star Offensive Tackle
Committed: 5/24/26
Other Offers: Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Georgia
Jones is a gifted offensive tackle who Sanders will love to have playing at Folsom Field in the years to come. Despite being 285 pounds, Jones has shown an ability to move quickly with strong steps, providing extra protection in the pass game. The movement alone gives the four-star high upside for his future in black and gold. Jones visited Boulder on May 15, nine days before committing to be a Buff. Jones also visited Mississippi State since committing to CU.
Prince Washington (6-foot-1 / 185 lbs)
Three-star Cornerback
Committed: 5/24/26
Other Offers: Houston, Missouri State, New Mexico State, Colorado State
Washington could be royalty, notching 25 tackles, two interceptions and 10 passes defended, per MaxPreps this past season. Sanders beat out Washington’s hometown school, Houston. He visited Houston, North Texas and had his first official visit to Boulder 19 days after committing to the Black and Gold.
Will Rasmussen (5-foot-9 / 170 lbs)
Three-star Defensive Back
Committed: 5/20/26
Other Offers: Utah, Oregon State, Washington, Texas A&M
Rasmussen is a high-motor ball-seeking defensive back who can play both cornerback and safety. The Orem, Utah native has recorded 116 total tackles, including three tackles for loss, one sack, four interceptions and a staggering 39 pass breakups over the past two seasons for Orem High School. His freshman year, Rasmussen played some running back, rushing for over 230 yards and a touchdown. Rasmussen also visited the University of Utah on an official visit since committing to Colorado.
Gabe Jenkins (6-foot-1 / 190 lbs)
Four-star Athlete
Committed: 5/20/26
Other Offers: Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Auburn
Jenkins is another talented athlete who can play anywhere you ask. He recorded 1,765 passing yards on 48 percent completion for 28 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In addition to 148 carries for 1,409 yards and 13 touchdowns, the four-star had 24 total tackles, including three tackles for loss and six total punt returns, according to MaxPreps. He has enough talent to play on either side of the ball and may be the next Coach Prime multiposition player. An all-around athlete, Jenkins committed to Penn State in August 2025 before decommitting in October. Jenkins committed to be a Buff four days after his official visit in May, but has had official visits to Virginia Tech, Penn State, Michigan and Pittsburgh since.
Ba’Roc Willis (6-foot-2 / 235 lbs)
Three-star EDGE
Committed: 5/19/26
Other Offers: Alabama, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Miami
Willis’s stats have continued to explode from year to year at Moody High School in Moody, Alabama. From 79 total tackles his freshman year, to 95 his sophomore year, to most recently, 125 his junior year, Willis has shown the ability to stuff boxes and be positioned on and off the ball. His 63.5 tackles for loss across the past three years have been paired with 35 total sacks and five forced fumbles. He also helped Moody win its first-ever state championship in football. He has visited Georgia Tech since committing to CU.
Kenny Fairley (6-foot-1 / 280 lbs)
Three-star Defensive Lineman
Committed: 4/24/26
Other Offers: Cincinnati, Purdue, USF, Tulane
Fairley helped Creekside High School go undefeated and win the Georgia High School 4A Football State Championship his junior year. He recorded 68 total tackles, including 20.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Fairley is a downhill monster who finds ways to beat linemen. Colorado was the first Power Four school to offer the Fairburn, Georgia native, offering in February 2026. He committed as CU’s third recruit in the 2027 cycle.
Andre Adams (6-foot-1 / 185 lbs)
Four-star Quarterback
Committed: 4/14/26
Other Offers: Vanderbilt, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech
Adams is a top-10 prospect from Tennessee who can throw on the move while pushing the pace as a leader. He looks comfortable off balance and can still sling the ball without his feet set. Over two years as the starting quarterback for Antioch High School, Adams recorded nearly 5,000 passing yards on 67 percent completion and 47 passing touchdowns. He added 1,348 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 168 attempts across that span as well, all while only fumbling the ball once. Last season, Adams had a 35-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio, showing a high IQ and ability to find and throw the right pass to his target. Adams was the second commit for Sanders and will benefit under Julian Lewis should he choose to stay in black and gold. CU was the first school to offer Adams when they did so in April 2024.
Davon Dericho (5-foot-10 / 170 lbs)
Three-star Defensive Back
Committed: 2/12/26
Other Offers: Indiana, USF, UCF, Louisville
Coach Sanders began the class of 2027 recruiting cycle with Dericho, who had 98 total tackles in the past two years, with 19 tackles for loss and nine sacks. With four touchdowns and 24 pass breakups over that span as well, Dericho is a high-motor defensive back who can easily stay on top of routes with impressive speed. He had his official visit in June, four months after committing to the Black and Gold.
DECOMMITS:
In an ever-changing landscape, it is easier than ever to commit to and decommit from colleges and universities than in the past five years. Colorado is no exception to decommits.
Here is a list of decommits this recruiting cycle for the class of 2027:
Dolph McDonald (6-foot-1 / 160 lbs)
Three-star Cornerback
Committed: 12/6/25
Decommitted: 1/25/26
McDonald was the first recruit for Sanders in the class of 2027 but decommitted from CU in late January. Sanders has since recruited five defensive backs this cycle. McDonald is a multi-sport athlete who plays both basketball and baseball and can play quarterback, running back, wide receiver and defensive back. Across 30 games, the Morton, Mississippi native has recorded over 1,640 yards rushing, receiving and returning, with an additional 500 passing yards his junior year and 15 total touchdowns across those three seasons.
Defensively, McDonald has nearly 150 tackles and six tackles for loss across the past three seasons. That includes his junior year, when three of his five interceptions were returned for touchdowns. This builds on impressive freshman and sophomore campaigns, where he had seven and three interceptions, respectively. The three-star has had offers from Florida, Kansas State, Texas Tech and LSU since decommitting.
Steven Alexis (6-foot / 203 lbs)
Three-star Running Back
Committed: 6/7/26
Decommitted: 6/15/26
Alexis is a talented running back who has an impressive, explosive stride and recorded 1,113 rushing yards on 124 carries in his junior year for an average of nine yards per carry. That included four games with 100 or more rushing yards and nine total touchdowns on the season. He occasionally got in on the passing game, catching eight passes for 50 receiving yards. Alexis had an official visit to Boulder on June 5 before committing to Colorado on June 7. After visiting Illinois on June 12, the Saint Petersburg, Florida native decommitted on June 16 before committing to Illinois later that day.
Jaiden Lindsay (6-foot-3 / 275 lbs)
Three-Star Offensive Lineman
Committed: 6/6/26
Decommitted: 6/22/26
Lindsay is a well-sized offensive lineman who shows some upside to his game that can translate to the college level. After committing to play for Sanders on June 6, the Olney, Maryland native received an offer from Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels on June 11, before going on an official visit on June 19. On June 22, Lindsay flipped his commitment to North Carolina.
Ben’Jarvius Shumaker (6-foot-3 / 260 lbs)
Three-Star Defensive Lineman
Committed: 6/23/26
Decommitted: 6/23/26
The epitome of college recruiting in 2026, Shumaker committed to Colorado and decommitted the same day. He would have been the highest-rated recruit that Sanders landed for the class of 2027. The four-star recorded 113 tackles during his junior year, including 24 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 30 quarterback hurries. The Ackerman, Mississippi native committed to Ole Miss on March 6, 2026, before visiting Boulder on June 19. Shumaker decommitted from Ole Miss, committed to Colorado, decommitted from the Black and Gold and recommitted to Ole Miss all on June 23.
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