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Colorado Recruiting Class of 2026
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11 Commitments, by Position …
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Quarterbacks …
Running Backs …
Wide Receivers …
Tight Ends … Gavin Mueller …
Offensive Linemen … Xavier Payne … Ben Gula … Josiah Manu …
Defensive Linemen … Domata Peko, Jr. (December enrollee) …
Linebackers … Colby Johnson … Carson Crawford … Rodney Colton …
Defensive Backs … Preston Ashley … Maurice Williams … D’Montae Tims …
Athletes/Specialists …
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Recruits are from … Florida: 3 … Colorado: 1 … California: 1 … Texas: 1 … Illinois: 1 … Mississippi: 1 … Louisiana: 1 … Washington: 1 … Georgia: 1 …
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Josiah Manu – OL
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 is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Manu is considered 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.
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
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 247 Sports, Gula is 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 is 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.
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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Rodney Colton – LB
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 … Colton is rated as a four-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Colton is 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 is 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.
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.”
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D’Montae Tims – DB
Committed July 10th … Tims is a 6’1″, 195-pound defensive back from Seffner, Florida … 247 Sports … On3Sports/Rivals bio …
What others say about Tims … Tims is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Tims is listed as the No. 95 safety in the nation, the No. 112 prospect out of the state of Florida, and the No. 1135 player overall in the country. At On3Sports/Rivals, Tims is listed as the No. 91 safety in the country, the No. 132 player out of Florida, and the No. 1004 overall prospect in the nation.
Tims recorded 29 tackles, three interceptions, two sacks and one fumble recovery while helping his high school team to 12 wins last season.
Tims had other offers from … almost two dozen Power Four schools, including Georgia, Miami, Ole Miss, Missouri, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Kansas State, Iowa State, Indiana and Wisconsin. Tims had initially verbally committed to Missouri before re-opening his recruitment. Tims also took an official visit with Louisville, and drew strong interest from Georgia.
In his own words … “Colorado has been real with me”, Tims told BuffStampede.com. “They see my versatility and believe I can be a big part of what they’re building. They talk a lot about development, playing early, and making an impact not just on the field, but off it too. It’s not just hype, they’re speaking to my goals.”
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Carson Crawford – LB
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 … Crawford is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Crawford is 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 is 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.
Crawford has had extensive snaps at linebacker and edge, but has also provided periodic snaps at a variety of spots both ways. in the 2024 Texas 4A D-II state championship victory for Carthage high school, Crawford played seven different positions in that one game: LB, edge, nickel, CB, TE, H, and WR.
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.”
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Xavier Payne – OL
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 … Payne is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and On3Sports/Rivals. At 247 Sports, Payne is 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 is 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.
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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Colby Johnson – LB
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 … Johnson is rated as a three-star prospect by both On3Sports and 247 Sports. At On3Sports, Johnson is 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.
From Greg Biggins at 247 Sports … “He’s an excellent open-field tackler and can knife through gaps and moves really well laterally. Shows physicality at the point of attack as well 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.”
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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Maurice Williams – DB
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 … Williams is rated as a three-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals. At 247 Sports, Williams is 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.
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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Preston Ashley – DB
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 Rivals, Ashley is 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 is 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.
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.”
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Gavin Mueller – TE
Committed May 14th … Mueller is a 6’5″, 255-pound tight end from Wheaton, Illinois … Rivals bio … 247 Sports bio …
What others say about Mueller … Mueller is rated as a four-star prospect by Rivals; a three-star prospect by 247 Sports. At Rivals, Mueller is considered to be the No. 23 tight end in the nation, and the No. 7 overall prospect out of the state of Illinois. At 247 Sports, Mueller is listed as the No. 36 tight end in the nation, the No. 11 overall prospect out of Illinois, and the No. 842 overall player in the Recruiting Class.
247Sports analyst Hudson Standish says the following: “Profiles as an in-line Y tight end at the next level who can use his physicality at the LOS to create running lanes and his frame to box out defenders at the first two levels. Has shown the ability to make plays at the catch point and excels at tracking the football in crowded conditions. Played through a shoulder injury and underwent surgery following his first season of football, should be viewed as a high-upside attached tight end who could blossom into a key piece for a College Football Playoff contender.”
Mueller had other offers from … over two dozen Power Four schools, including Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas A&M, Syracuse and West Virginia. Before committing to Colorado, Mueller took official visits to Wisconsin, Notre Dame, and LSU.
In his own words … “Colorado has made me feel at home. Every player, staff member and even fan has made me feel welcome and I knew it was home”, Mueller told BuffStampede.com. Mueller visited Colorado twice, once officially and once unofficially, and got to know the staff through that including head coach Deion Sanders, who he called “very personable” and “one of the easiest dudes I’ve ever talked to.”
One of the big selling points for Colorado during this recruiting process was the ability for a tight end to join the team and make an impact. Mueller is well aware of offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s history of using 11 and 12 personnel and believes the team is eager to get back to that moving forward. “I know he wants to be in 11 and 12 personnel”, Mueller told Rivals.com. “Last year, he played his 11 best and it happened to be four wide receivers. So I’m not, in any fear of them, only wanting to play 10 personnel.
“I think he wants to play his 11 best, and every time I talk to Coach Prime, he’s always like, ‘man, I just need someone to catch the ball over the middle.’”
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Domata Peko, Jr. – Ath
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.
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.
The new CU commit will play his sophomore season at Ventura College before making the move to Boulder in December as a midyear enrollee with two seasons of remaining eligibility.
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17 Replies to “CU Recruiting Class of 2026”
In keeping with my recent label as a curmudgeon, I am going to announce the only negative thing I see from Colton’s commitment. Even though we stole him from over 30 other offers it appears he wasn’t offered by the cobbs
😉
40-40-20. May not be exact. May not work for everyone. But that continues to be Deion’s formula. Any complaints? Real ones? Let’s hear ‘em. They want high schoolers they think can play immediately. That is all.
Go Buffs
6’7” and 320 at what, 19? And a student of the game?
Go Buffs
Am I getting jaded that a massive guy with a huge offer sheet and becuase he is only a 3* I am “ho hum”? Taking off that perspective, this is a guy we would be loving a few years ago. I love that Seaton got involved in recruiting him.
tongue in cheek?
If not, the recruiting services do not do O linemen any favors. They are high in demand anyway. All the good ones, including most 3 stars are snatched up almost as soon as they enter the portal. I will go with offer sheets ahead of the lazy recruiting services any time. This guy is a real find. Now if shurmur can put them in the right place at the right time……..
Xavier apparently has the same measurable as Felix ojo: 6’7” and 300-ish lbs.
Will be interesting to see how they pan out. I’d put a dollar the Deion and co got the better deal.
Go Buffs
Maybe a little, but the *’s seem to a fluid rating system. JuJu was a 5* until he switched to CU from Spoiled Children and is suddenly a 4*?!! Who he is turning down is probably a better barometer than *’s in a lot of cases.
Looking more and more like NFL contracts….5M+ guaranteed contract.
“Five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo, No. 20 in the 2026 ESPN 300, committed to Texas Tech on Friday upon signing a historic, seven-figure revenue share contract with the Red Raiders, his agent Derrick Shelby of Prestige Management told ESPN.
Ojo, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound prospect from Mansfield, Texas, is ESPN’s No. 4 offensive tackle and second-ranked recruit from the state of Texas in the 2026 class. He chose Texas Tech over Florida, Michigan, Ohio State and Texas following a slate of official visits this spring. Ojo will arrive as the program’s highest-ranked addition since ESPN began ranking high school prospects in the 2006 recruiting cycle.
Per Shelby, Ojo is set to join Texas Tech on a fully guaranteed three-year, $5.1 million contract.”
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/45669339/five-star-ot-felix-ojo-commits-texas-tech-lands-5m+-deal
Sometimes… SOMETIMES a player is as good as their competition and the “pond” they got to play in.
the No. 14 prospect overall out of the state of Washington… From Greg Biggins at 247 Sports … “He’s an excellent open-field tackler and can knife through gaps and moves really well laterally. Shows physicality at the point of attack as well 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.”
Is this a case of a good player who can get better? #14 out of a state like WA who didn’t play against, or with the best, or had the best coaches… ETC. Can he grow into the player the staff is seeing? I’m going to assume he’s been in a camp or somewhere where the coaches saw him and liked what they saw and who they are getting.
Third year in and maybe some of the players are will start to be development players, foundations for the future.
Johnson better bulk up or he will Wood part duex
Another solid looking 4-star high schooler. With a Dad who played in the NFL.
They still comin’.
Go Buffs
Ho hum. Another day at the office. Another four star recruit.
Nothing to see here. Move along.
Go Buffs
But one HS commit, only one. Would like to see a few more (That actually stick thru signing day). Not a lot to ask LOL
Yep. Only one, for now. Seems unlikely he’ll be the only one. Maybe another dozen or so between now and December or February or whatever?
Go Buffs
That’s what I’m talking about. A dozen and core players to build around and then have the plug & play transfers around them. We have 2 on offense, well maybe a few more with the incoming WRs. Defensively, ouch, and that includes transfers
Prime was out on medical leave for a while. we’ll see.