The state of Colorado football recruiting is only set to improve in the coming years according to Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde — who believes the Buffs will soon be a destination for proven college players in the coming recruiting cycles.
“At least five four-star or five-star recruits from the classes of 2024 and ’25 were expected to be at the game, plus a handful of Class of ’26 standouts who haven’t yet been rated,” Forde prefaced before saying, “Then there’s the transfer portal. Sanders isn’t going to restock in bulk there the way he did last year, but rest assured the Buffs will be active and successful in landing proven college players.”
Coach Prime in many ways has already landed proven college players; bringing on the 2022 class’s No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter as well as his son under center, Shedeur, who went for over 3,200 passing yards in his two seasons at Jackson State. Wideouts Xavier Weaver and Jimmy Horn Jr. were also high-level playmakers at USF in the passing game. But Forde likely foresees major areas of need — along the defensive front, the offensive line, and in the running back room to name a few — being addressed as the Buffs look to make strides toward being a contender.
Colorado football recruiting may never be worse under Coach Prime
The good and bad news about the 2023 Colorado football program is that the Buffs may never be worse than they are this season under Deion Sanders after limited time to build a roster in the offseason, and that still almost meant upsetting a top-10 team in USC despite missing Hunter and Coach Prime’s other son Shilo.
After CU’s lone lowlight outing of the season, a 42-6 loss to Oregon on the road, analysts were hopeful about the Buffs’ chances of landing on their feet in the coming years.
“Yes, Deion has done a lot talking … because he’s great at it and he’s trying to send a recruiting message that Colorado is THE PLACE TO BE,” FS1’s Skip Bayless wrote. “The Lannings of the world are SCARED TO DEATH of what Deion is building. So Lanning can take his shots now, while he can. But #HeComing.”
“The good news for (Colorado) fans is that Deion is likely not headed to the NFL or another school soon,” ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla wrote. “Everyone gets their ass kicked. Now he can build a program. I can’t imagine that high-level recruits will be scared off by this. If anything, there’s playing time to be had.”
Colorado football recruiting will be just fine, if not elite, very soon. If the biggest names in sports media aren’t worried, you shouldn’t be either.