The 2026 recruiting cycle has not been kind to Coach Prime and Colorado thus far. With Deion Sanders dealing with his health issues and away from Boulder all summer, the Buffaloes have had to work from well behind in the recruitment process for most of their top targets.
Currently, Colorado ranks No. 78 in the 247 composite for the 2026 class. They have two 4-star commitments in LB Rodney Colton Jr. and S Preston Ashley, but the Buffs have taken quite a few L's on the trail the last few weeks, particularly as they look to add some offensive playmakers.
4-star RB Amari Thomas chose South Carolina after decommitting from Florida State in a recruitment that probably isn't over yet. Sanders will be pushing to get Thomas on campus sometime this fall for a gameday visit in hopes of swaying him toward Boulder.
The biggest blow came with 4-star ATH CJ Sadler choosing Bill Belichick and North Carolina over Colorado last week. Sadler was the top remaining target on the Buffs' recruiting board.
With so much of the top talent already committed, if Sanders wants to make waves in the 2026 class, he's going to have to get to work on flipping prospects who have already pledged elsewhere.
One of those prospects is committed to Louisville, but reportedly loves Colorado...
Louisville commit Lekhy Thompkins plans to visit Colorado this fall
According to Rivals, Thompkins plans to visit Colorado this fall for a game and was quoted as saying, "I love Colorado."
Louisville RB commit Lekhy Thompkins plans to visit Colorado after a recent offer, @JohnGarcia_Jr reports🦬
— Rivals (@Rivals) August 18, 2025
“I love Colorado.”
Read: https://t.co/OOknWiFc8P pic.twitter.com/a2CNHyOQvV
Thompkins is a consensus 3-star prospect and the No. 71 overall RB in the composite rankings.
Thompkins committed to Louisville in May, but has seen his recruitment begin to heat up recently. He has since added offers from Miami on July 31st, followed by Colorado on August 16th.
Thompkins is a big back at a listed 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds. Some believe his future at the college level could be as more of an H-Back/Tight End or even on defense. He has played both ways consistently during his high school career.
In spite of his size, he does have some wiggle, and he'll be physically ready to play right away, regardless of which school he ultimately chooses to attend.