There’s no offseason in college football anymore—and Coach Prime knows it.
On Friday, Colorado officially offered 4-star quarterback Michael Clayton II out of Miami Edison Senior High School. For those keeping score at home, yes—Clayton has been committed to Illinois since last November. And yes, he’s exactly the type of arm we’ve been dying to see seriously considered by this staff.
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Clayton fits the mold of what Deion Sanders and this team want under center: size, athleticism, and leadership.
He’s a Sunshine State gunslinger with offers from Auburn, Iowa, Miami, Nebraska, Baylor, and now…Colorado.
The JuJu Factor
This move comes while we're already laser-focused on the quarterback battle between Julian “JuJu” Lewis and Kaidon Salter. But the Clayton offer shows that Coach Prime is playing chess, not checkers.
This is about 2026 and beyond.
Most of us expect JuJu to win the job and hold it down. But what happens if he gets injured? Or bolts to the NFL early? Or God-forbid transfers.
You can never have too many elite QBs in today’s Big 12.
Clayton could be our next guy. And even if he’s not, you want that competition in the room. Quarterback culture matters. Look at what Alabama did with Jalen Hurts, Tua, and Mac Jones back-to-back-to-back.
Coach Prime seems to be building something similar: a QB room with real stakes.
So… Can We Actually Flip Him?
It won’t be easy.
Illinois has 22 commits in their 2026 class and ranks No. 5 in the Big Ten. Clayton has been their lone quarterback, and he’s spoken highly of Bret Bielema’s pro-style system.
“The love that they’re showing me, the momentum swing that they’ve gotten, it’s really impressive,” Clayton told 247Sports last fall. “It’s just a really pro-style offense I can thrive in, that fits me and can get me developed for the pros.”
He seems genuinly interested. But plans change—especially if Coach Prime calls. You don’t ignore that 303 area code. Especially if you’re a Florida quarterback looking for culture to a program.
Colorado might be behind in the 2026 rankings, but that can flip overnight. One big fish triggers a wave. As we still await Cederian Morgan, Clayton could help that domino.
A Miami Pipeline?
If you’ve been paying attention, this isn’t random. Clayton is just the latest in a string of South Florida targets Deion and his staff have pursued relentlessly. They have been making a deliberate move to tap into Florida speed and swag.
What makes Clayton stand out is his production. He threw for over 1,900 yards and 18 touchdowns last season, and he’s transferring to Miami Edison to boost his competition level.
The dude wants to play the best and beat the best. Sounds like a Buff to me.
Prime’s Recruiting Philosophy
Coach Prime broke it down bluntly last year, saying:
“Let’s say we get 25 high school players. How many are gonna play that freshman year at the most? Let’s say four or five... Why don’t I just focus on 10?”
That quote got heat, but it’s revealing. Prime wants impact guys—not roster fillers. So stop panicking about CU's 2026 high school recruiting ranking. Coach Prime is being very strategic.
And offering Clayton shows he believes this kid could be more than just a depth piece.
Flipping Clayton would be a statement.
It would say Colorado is serious about loading the QB room with talent, not waiting around for the transfer portal to fix things. It would show Florida recruits that Boulder is worth the flight. And it would plant a flag: we're here to compete.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Clayton’s still solidly committed to Illinois.
But Coach Prime just entered the chat.
And when that happens, nothing is off the table.
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