Deion Sanders and Colorado suffer major recruiting blow with 4-star decommitment

Shortly after getting some much-needed good news with the commitment of 4-star ATH Alex Ward to the 2027 class, Deion Sanders and Colorado suffered a major blow to a 2026 class that already ranks among the worst in the Big 12.

4-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin, who committed to Colorado back in September, announced his decommitment from the Buffaloes on Tuesday. He broke the news himself on social media:

Ruffin, an Alabama native, was one of the highest-ranked commitments in Colorado's 2026 class. He was a recruit who could have made an instant impact in Boulder on a defensive line that has been one of a plethora of weak spots on a Buffaloes' defense that has been a major reason for the team's 3-6 record.

Ruffin took a visit to Missouri last month and was immediately placed on flip watch. The Tigers figure to be one of the programs with the best chance of landing Ruffin when he makes his final decision.

It's not known why Ruffin decided to decommit, but Colorado's struggles on the field this season - along with a growing narrative of the program being on the downswing - certainly didn't help.

Colorado's 2026 recruiting class is in real trouble

Deion Sanders' promise to get things fixed in Boulder just took another big blow. Ruffin's decommitment means that Colorado now only has 12 total commitments in the 2026 class. The class now ranks 79th in the composite.

With just over a month to go until the early signing period, Colorado's 2026 class is in major trouble. It was in major trouble prior to Ruffin's de-commitment, but in the aftermath, it's now on life support.

Coach Prime's struggles on the recruiting trail will do little to remove apathy from the fanbase. It was expected that Colorado would take a small step back this season after losing Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, but they've taken a giant leap backwards instead.

The last two weeks have produced embarrassing losses to both Utah and Arizona by a combined score of 105-24. It's clear that Sanders has a lot of work to do to infuse talent into this roster to get Colorado to where he wants to take them, which is to the top of the Big 12 and the College Football Playoff.

Effectively punting an entire recruiting cycle is a bad start. This late in the game, it seems impossible that Sanders will find a way to salvage the 2026 class.