Two days. Two commitments. For the second day in a row, Coach Prime has reeled in a commitment to add to Colorado's growing 2026 recruiting class. A day after landing 4-star DL Emanuel Ruffin, 3-star WR Christian Ward announced his commitment to the Buffaloes:
BREAKING: IMG Academy WR Christian Ward commits to Colorado.
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong_) September 24, 2025
“Really Coach Prime was a big part of it but I love the coaches, the atmosphere, the team,” Ward said.
Story: https://t.co/Zyy5SinAuo pic.twitter.com/rRLGt6oejS
Ward is ranked as the No. 535 overall prospect and No. 79-ranked WR in the 247 composite. But more than his ranking, you should judge Ward, who plays for one of the top high school football teams in the country at IMG Academy, based on the programs that offered him. He held offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, among many others.
Deion Sanders is finally building momentum for Colorado in the 2026 class
The 2026 recruiting class has been a slow-go for Deion Sanders until this week. Before Ruffin's commitment yesterday, Colorado ranked No. 83 in the composite and held just 11 commitments. Fast forward to Wednesday, and the Buffs have 13 commitments and have moved all the way up to No. 67.
Colorado has also moved up to No. 14 in the Big 12 after spending the summer and the first part of the fall last in the conference in recruiting.
It was always just a matter of time before Colorado found momentum on the trail. Coach Prime has proven to be an elite recruiter and has had no problem getting talented players to come to Boulder. His health issues over the summer kept the Buffaloes from their usual run, but this is better late than never.
Colorado remains in contention for some of the top prospects in the country down the stretch. Sanders will be looking to flip several, including 5-star WR and Alabama commitment Cederian Morgan, who took his second visit to Boulder last weekend for Colorado's game against Wyoming.
There's still a little over two months to go until the early signing period, and we should continue to see Colorado skyrocket up the recruiting rankings. You can expect they'll be active in the Transfer Portal, too.
Coach Prime caused a stir earlier this week when he said he gets who he wants in recruiting. His hot streak over the last couple of days backs that up.