CU Class of ’26 – Signed LOI

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Colorado Recruiting Class of 2026 – Signed Letter of Intent

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The Ticker … 

5:00 p.m. … Not giving up hope … Four-star athlete Alexander Ward, brother of Class of 2026 wide receiver Christian Ward, is still reportedly going to sign with CU. On Tuesday, Ward reclassified as a member of the Class of 2026 (formerly a member of the Class of 2027), and was reportedly going to join his brother in Boulder. That still may happen, reportedly on Friday … so stay tuned …

2:45 p.m. … CU Recruiting Class of 2026 hits double digits with signing of Domata Peko, Jr. …

12:00 p.m. … After quite the lull, offensive lineman Ben Gula becomes CU’s ninth signee …

9:10 a.m. … Wide receiver Christian Ward sends in his Letter of Intent …

8:35 a.m. … Colby Johnson makes it three new linebackers in the Class of 2026 …

7:55 a.m. … More linebacker help: Rodney Colton, Jr. becomes a Buff …

7:45 a.m. … Defensive back Maurice “Mojo” Williams joins the Class of 2026 …

7:20 a.m.  … In-state offensive lineman Josiah Manu (from Loveland) signs with CU …

7:00 a.m. … Four-star linebacker prospect Carson Crawford becomes a Buff …

6:40 a.m. … 6’7″, 300-pound offensive lineman Xavier Payne joins the Herd …

6:30 a.m. … Four-star defensive back Preston Ashley becomes the first official Signee of the Class of 2026 …

11 Commitments, by Position … Note: Players who have signed Letters of Intent are in bold … (see bios, below) … 

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Quarterbacks …

Running Backs …

Wide Receivers … Christian Ward …

Tight Ends …

Offensive Linemen … Xavier Payne … Ben Gula … Josiah Manu …

Defensive Linemen … Domata Peko, Jr. …

Linebackers … Colby Johnson … Carson Crawford … Rodney Colton, Jr. …

Defensive Backs … Preston Ashley … Maurice “Mojo” Williams …

Athletes/Specialists … Alexander Ward …

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Recruits are from … Florida: 4 … Colorado: 1 … California: 1 … Texas: 1 … Mississippi: 1 … Louisiana: 1 … Washington: 1 … Georgia: 1 …

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Preston Ashley – DB

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed June 24th … Ashley is a 5’10”, 170-pound defensive back from Brandon, Mississippi … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Ashley … Ashley is rated as a four-star prospect by both Rivals and 247 Sports. At the time of his commitment, Ashley was considered to be the No. 15 cornerback in the nation, the No. 11 player overall out of the state of Mississippi, and the No. 226 prospect overall in the nation. At 247 Sports, Ashley was listed as the No. 24 safety in the country, the No. 9 player out of Mississippi, and the No. 214 overall prospect in the country.

On Signing Day, Ashley was still considered to be a four-star prospect, but had dropped slightly. Ashley was considered to be the No. 32 cornerback in the nation, the No. 10 player overall out of the state of Mississippi, and the No. 277 prospect overall in the nation. At 247 Sports, Ashley was listed as the No. 29 safety in the country, the No. 10 player out of Mississippi, and the No. 220 overall prospect in the country.

Ashley had other offers from … over two dozen Power Four conference schools, including Florida State, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Florida, Louisville, Ole Miss, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and West Virginia. Florida and Florida State were the other two finalists for Ashley’s services.

In his own words … “My main takeaway was this is the place for me, and that if I want to make it to the NFL, CU is the place,” Ashley told BuffStampede.com, recapping his trip to Boulder over the weekend of June 21st. “Everything about it from the coaches to the city… I was really blown away from everything.”

Other schools kept after Ashley well after his June commitment, but Ashley was having none of it.  “My class is going to be the class to shake things up and just only continue to keep the dice rolling in getting (Deion) ‘Coach Prime’ (Sanders) a national championship,” he told BuffStampede.com in October. “They see me coming in being that guy. But I need to work my butt off to get where I need to be.”

“Just the place of Boulder, and how great (Buffaloes cornerbacks) coach (Kevin) Mathis and (defensive coordinator and safeties) coach (Robert) Livingston are, and how they can put me in the place I want to be,” Ashley said of why he decided to join the herd at the time.

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Carson Crawford – LB

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed July 10th … Crawford is a 6’3″, 215-pound linebacker from Carthage, Texas … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Crawford … At the time of his commitment in July, Crawford was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Crawford was listed as the No. 34 linebacker in the nation, the No. 77 player overall out of Texas, and the No. 693 overall prospect in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Crawford was rated at the No. 82 linebacker in the nation, the No.158 player overall out of Texas, and the No. 1113 player overall in the Recruiting Class of 2026.

After a strong senior season, however, Crawford’s numbers improved, at least in the eyes of 247 Sports, where Crawford was elevated to four star status. At 247 Sports, Crawford is now listed as the No. 11 linebacker in the nation, the No. 31 player overall out of Texas, and the No. 202 overall prospect in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, meanwhile, Crawford remains a three-star prospect, but his numbers have also climbed significantly. Crawford is now rated at the No. 41 linebacker in the nation, the No.63 player overall out of Texas, and the No. 482 player overall in the Recruiting Class of 2026.

From the evaluation of Gabe Brooks at 247 Sports …

– Big-framed off-ball LB (6-3, 215) with experience at several positions on both sides of the ball.
– Fiery competitor who’s a leader on an elite Texas 4A team.
– Athletic in pursuit range and rush situations.
– Experienced off the ball and from a two-point edge role. Also filled in as a nickel and corner in specific matchups, playing as many as seven positions in a game (2024 Texas 4A D-II championship).
– Owns valuable, extensive offensive snaps as a WR and flex TE with pass-catching experience.
– Hyper-aggressive play style combined with athleticism creates some over-pursuit. Will need to productively harness the field demeanor at the next level.
– Checks the multi-sport box with baseball participation.
– Projects as a potential high-major LB with physical and athletic profile markers that point to possible impact college player with a number of data points that suggest pro upside.

Crawford had other offers from … a handful of Power Four schools, including Houston from the Big 12. Other offers were mainly from Group of Six schools nearby, including Tulsa, UTEP and UTSA. Crawford had been a commit to newly minted Pac-8 member Texas State, but chose to decommit after taking an official visit to Colorado in June.

In his own words … “Colorado is a great place to be. I’ve had a lot of love shown to me, not just by the coaches and players, but also the fans”, Crawford told BuffStampede.com. They have a great fan base. (Linebackers) coach (Andre’) Hart is one of the main guys who talked to me, and he just spoke to me, man to man. He told me what he expected out of me, but also knew I could accomplish my dreams here. Also coach Corey (Phillips) and coach (Darrius Darden-)Box. Coach Box came to one of my practices and watched me, and he took a chance on me.”

Crawford was at Folsom Field on in September to watch the Delaware game. “Just the energy Colorado has; great energy and an amazing fanbase,” he said of his main takeaways. “We went and saw all the mountains and campus, talked with (Deion) ‘Coach Prime’ (Sanders) and just (discussed) how I will fit into the program. … I’ll be an inside linebacker there, (a) sideline-to-sideline guy.”

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Christian Ward – WR

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed September 24th … Ward is a 6’3″, 195-pound wide receiver from the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Ward … At the time of his commitment, Ward was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Ward was listed as the No. 79 wide receiver in the nation, the 69 player overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 535 prospect overall in the nation. At On3Sports/Rivals, Ward was considered to be the No. 105 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 81 prospect out of the state of Florida, and the No. 681 player in the country.

As of Signing Day, Ward was still rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Ward was dropped to the No. 106 wide receiver in the nation, the 85 player overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 738 prospect overall in the nation. At On3Sports/Rivals, Ward was lowered to the No. 114 wide receiver in the nation, the No. 84  prospect out of the state of Florida, and the No. 737 player in the country.

Ward had other offers from … over a dozen Power Four schools, including Alabama, Michigan, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kansas State, LSU, South Carolina and Texas A&M.

In his own words … “Colorado feels like the best place for me, because of the culture, the energy around the program, and the way the staff believes in me”, Ward told BuffStampede.com. “It feels like the right fit for my growth, both on and off the field … Colorado is getting a hard-working, committed player who will give everything on and off the field. They’re getting someone humble, dedicated, and ready to represent the program the right way.”

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Rodney Colton – LB

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed July 12th … Colton is a 6’1″, 220-pound linebacker from Newman, Georgia … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Colton … At the time of his commitment in July, Colton was rated as a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Colton was listed as the No. 15 linebacker in the nation, the No. 23 prospect out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 239 player overall in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Colton was listed as the No. 16 linebacker in the nation, the No. 26 prospect out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 245 player overall in the country.

By the time Signing Day rolled around, however, Colton had been demoted to three-star status by both services. At 247 Sports, Colton was listed as the No. 42 linebacker in the nation, the No. 54 prospect out of the state of Georgia, and the No. 514 player overall in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Colton had slipped to the No. 32 linebacker in the nation, the No. 48 player out of Georgia, and the No. 467 player overall in the country.

(But … The demotion wasn’t due to failures by Colton on the field. At the time of his official visit in October, Colton’s 45 tackles through seven games as a senior are 20 more than any other Newnan defender. He has also accounted for six of the team’s 19 tackles for a loss, and added two interceptions, two sacks, two fumble involvements, and a pass breakup).

Colton had other offers from … over two dozen Power Four conference schools, including Penn State, Cincinnati, Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas A&M, UCF, and West Virginia. Colton had been committed to South Carolina, with CU, Florida State, and Ole Miss being his final three schools.

In his own words … “Everything was great on my visit,” Colton told BuffStampede, after his trip to the Front Range. “Buffaloes linebackers) coach (Andre’) Hart is a great man, I am not going to lie. He is down to earth, he is cool, cordial, all of it. He is always checking in, the most, making sure I am good, making sure my family is straight.”

“They see me being the voice and quarterback of the defense, also coming in early and making an impact right away,” Colton said of what the Buffaloes’ message has been for him. “Jumping in the playbook soon is going to be big for me to get on the field.”

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Colby Johnson – LB

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed July 1st … Johnson is a 6’2″, 195-pound linebacker from Sammamish, Washington … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Johnson … At the time of his commitment in July, Johnson was rated as a three-star prospect by both On3Sports/Rivals and 247 Sports. While On3Sports/Rivals didn’t have numbers on Johnson, at 247 Sports, Johnson was listed as the No. 116 linebacker in the country, the No. 14 prospect overall out of the state of Washington, and the No. 1263 overall prospect out of the Class of 2026.

On Signing Day, Johnson remained a three-star prospect according to both services. At On3Sports, Johnson was listed as the No. 152 linebacker in the country, the No. 13 prospect overall out of the state of Washington, and the No. 1659 overall prospect out of the Class of 2026. At Rivals, Johnson was listed as the No. 141 linebacker in the country, the No. 16 player out of Washington, and the No. 1546 player in the nation.

From Greg Biggins at 247 Sports … Johnson is a two-way player and an exciting two-sport athlete as well. He’ll play linebacker at the college level but flashed at running back and is one of the top athletes in the state. Boasts an athletic 6-foot-2, 200 pound frame and can really run. Had a big year on the track this past spring, running multiple sub 11.0-100-meter times with a personal best 10.87 as well as a very solid 22.81 time in the 200m. Flashes that speed with the pads on and showed the ability to run away from a defense with the ball in his hands and he can get downhill in a hurry from his linebacker position. An excellent open field tackler and can knife through gaps and moves really well laterally. Physical at the point of attack and shows off the versatility to play inside or outside ‘baker at the next level. Has the frame to add good weight and play inside but his ability to run and cover translates well to a role as a weak side or cover linebacker. Like the upside and projects as a multi-year starter at the Power 4 level.

Johnson had other offers from … a few Power Four conference schools, including Arizona. Other offers came from Washington State, Utah State, San Diego State, Wyoming and Fresno State.

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Domata Peko, Jr. – Ath

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed April 28th … Peko is a 6’4″, 220-pound athlete from Calabasas, California, coming to CU by way of Ventura College Junior College. Peko will come to CU in December, with two years of eligibility remaining … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Peko … A member of the Recruiting Class of 2023, Peko was rated as a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. Peko was listed as the No. 100 athlete in the nation, the No. 128 player overall out of the state of California, and the No. 1762 player nationally.

As a junior college transfer, Peko is listed by 247 Sports as the No. 1 edge rusher in the nation, the No. 2 prospect out of California, and the No. 6 overall junior college transfer in the nation. At On3Sports/Rivals, Peko is listed as the No. 1 edge rusher, the No. 6 prospect out of California, and the No. 11 overall junior college transfer nationally.

Peko had other offers from … Out of high school, Peko originally signed a Letter of Intent with Hawai’i, after considering offers from San Jose State and Grambling State. As an edge rusher, Peko eventually found his way to College of the Canyons (Santa Clarita, California) where he was able to contribute in seven games and collect 10 tackles (9 solo), 3 tackles for loss and 2 sacks plus a forced fumble. After committing to Colorado, Peko continued to receive offers, including one from Arkansas.

Peko played his sophomore season at Ventura College, and will be a midyear enrollee with two seasons of remaining eligibility.

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Maurice “Mojo” Williams – DB

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed June 25th … Williams is a 5’11”, 172-pound defensive back from New Orleans, Louisiana … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …

What others say about Williams … At the time of his commitment in June, Williams was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals. At 247 Sports, Williams was listed as the No. 125 cornerback in the nation, the No. 42 player overall out of the state of Louisiana, and the No. 1747 overall prospect nationally.

As of Signing Day, Williams continued to be rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals. At 247 Sports, Williams was dropped to be listed as the No. 136 cornerback in the nation, the No. 44 player overall out of the state of Louisiana, but rose to be listed No. 1600 overall prospect nationally. At On3Sports/Rivals, which didn’t have Williams rated in June, Williams is now listed as the No. 149 cornerback in the country, the No. 35 player overall out of Louisiana, and the No. 1478 prospect in the country.

Williams had other offers from … several Power Four conference schools. A commit to Liberty since February, Williams nonetheless also had offers from Washington, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss, Houston and UCF.

In his own words … “Playing for a University like Colorado is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Ashley told BuffStampede.com. “Being able to showcase my talents on a high level is an ultimate blessing.”

“Colorado’s staff sees me coming in with an immediate impact to their defense,” he said. “The coaches were very hyped after finding out I was committing.”

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Xavier Payne – OL

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed July 7th … Payne is a 6’7″, 300-pound offensive lineman from Miami, Florida … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Payne … At the time of his commitment, Payne was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Payne was listed as the No. 69 offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 95 player out of Florida, and the No. 817 overall prospect in the country. At On3Sports, Payne was listed as the No. 61 offensive tackle in the country, the No. 99 prospect out of Florida, and the No. 734 player overall in the nation.

On Signing Day, Payne retained his rating as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Payne had dropped to the No. 101 offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 102 player out of Florida, and the No. 1213 overall prospect in the country. At On3Sports, Payne was listed as the No. 89 offensive tackle in the country, the No. 135 prospect out of Florida, and the No. 1181 player overall in the nation.

Payne had other offers from … over two dozen Power Four conference schools, including Arizona, Florida, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Nebraska, Missouri, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Tennessee and West Virginia. A Florida State commit since December 21, 2024, Payne decommitted on June 22nd. His final two were CU and Syracuse.

In his own words … “Me and (Jordan) Seaton actually got on the board for a little and compared my high school plays and showed me how they would run it,” Payne told On3Sports of his official visit to Boulder on June 16th. “We both love the game deeply and love talking football. Like him sitting with me wasn’t because of the coaches, he had just popped up in the offensive line room to hang a poster up and we just hit it off.”

“The best part was being to sit down with the offensive line coaches and truly building that connection while getting to see their plan for me and how I fit into the program,” he said. “As I was sitting in the room it really hit me how much NFL experience is on the staff. So not only do they know how to get there because they did it, but also because they have sent so many in their years of coaching.

“The main coaches with me were the entire offensive line group and mainly coach Gunnar (White)….I meshed really well there.”

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Josiah Manu – OL

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed August 9th … Manu is a 6’5″, 295-pound offensive lineman from Loveland, Colorado … 247 Sports bio .. On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Manu … Manu, and the time of his commitment, was rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals, though not rated nationally by On3Sports/Rivals. At the time, 247 Sports considered Manu to be the No. 108 offensive tackle in the nation, the No. 14 overall prospect out of the state of Colorado, and the No. 1334 player nationally.

On Signing Day, 247 Sports listed Manu as the No. 18 player out of Colorado, the No. 112 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 1300 player in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Manu was listed as the No. 16 player out of the state of Colorado, the No. 99 offensive tackle in the nation, and the No. 1289 player nationally.

Manu was a first-team all-state selection and the Long Peaks Offensive Player of the Year as a junior. A starter on varsity since late during his freshman season, Manu helped the Eagles improve from 6-5 in 2022 to 10-3 in 2023 to 14-0 with a 3A state championship victory in 2024.

Manu had other offers from … Arizona and Washington State, along with schools like Fresno State and San Jose State. Manu had committed to San Jose State on July 1st, but switched his commitment less than two months later.

In his own words … “Honestly I would say level of competition and coaching staff is the biggest thing,” Manu told BuffStampede.com when asked what made him want to join the herd. “They’ve got a lot of great coaches over there and I keep seeing stuff about ex-Buff players just performing so well in the NFL as well. There is an amalgamation of things that led to this decision.”

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Ben Gula – OL

… Signing Day CUBuffs.com bio …

Committed August 1st … Gula is a 6’5″, 285-pound offensive lineman from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida … 247 Sports bio … On3Sports/Rivals bio …

What others say about Gula … Gula is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At the time of his commitment, 247 Sports, Gula was listed as the No. 96 offensive lineman in the nation, the No. 131 player overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 1183 player overall in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Gula was considered to be the No. 112 interior offensive lineman in the nation, the No. 164 player out of Florida, and the No. 1469 player overall in the country.

As of Signing day, Gula was still rated as a three-star prospect by both services, with a slight uptick in his overall ratings. At 247 Sports, Gula was listed as the No. 96 offensive lineman in the nation, the No. 133 player overall out of the state of Florida, and the No. 1213 player overall in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Gula was considered to be the No. 113 interior offensive lineman in the nation, the No. 134 player out of Florida, and the No. 1177 player overall in the country.

Gula had other offers from … a number of Power Four conference teams, including UCF, Indiana, Maryland, Syracuse, Wake Forest and Texas A&M. Gula’s decision came down to UCF and Colorado, with a phone call with Coach Prime making the difference.

In his own words … “It would definitely be a scenery change,” Gula told BuffStampede.com. “It would also mean to me to be able to go out there and make that mark on myself as a person, and not knowing anyone up there and going and showing my mom and my family and my friends that I can go and do it. I’m my own individual, and I can make things happen, and I’m gonna go places.”

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This post, about the Recruiting Class of 2026 game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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