Where the hell has BuffsBlog been this offseason? Plus massive recruiting Update and more!

I owe you an explanation.  It’s a weird one.

I didn’t quit BuffsBlog. I didn’t run out of things to say about CU football (did I mention that the Deion Sanders Experience™ will sink or swim with this season’s results?) 

Instead, I spent the off-season building a sports app. It’s on the App Store.  People who aren’t related to me have downloaded it.   

Meet SportsDeck. Then we’ll talk football, because the opener is days away.  

Okay, so what is SportsDeck?

SportsDeck is the sports app that I always wished existed.  

You tell the app what teams you follow.  

For me, that’s all of CU’s sports teams (football, men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse), the University of Michigan’s sports teams (my colleague gives me a hard time about having 2 college teams but with a graduate degree from Michigan and 2 kids currently enrolled at Michigan, I think my checkbook has earned the right to sports bigamy), the Denver Broncos, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Tottenham Hotspur, F1 racing, AEW rasslin’, the Denver Summit, Indiana Fever, Nebraska Corndogs football (to hate watch, of course), Air Force football, and several more.  There are 3,220 followable teams across 47 leagues that you can follow (!!!!)  Once you follow a team, they will go on your SportsDeck.

You can also follow “Headliners.”  These are event-specific and not team-specific.  Think top 25 college football matchups, or soccer rivalry games, or golf majors, or major sports league drafts, or Monday Night Football games – there are 74 in total.  Follow a Headliner and those games/events will go on your SportsDeck, too.  

Last, if desired, you can also follow entire sports leagues – so if you want to follow every NFL game, for example, you can follow the NFL and all NFL games will show up on your SportsDeck.  

Next, you tell the app what  streaming / TV services you have.  YouTube TV, or Fubo TV, or DirecTV, or Peacock, or Apple TV, or….you get the point. 

SportsDeck then builds your “SportsDeck” containing your games and Headliners, and gives you a schedule of the games that you care about, and how (and whether) you can watch them.

All your games from all your teams, without the scavenger hunt.

The app will then tell you if there are better (and cheaper) ways to watch more of your team’s games.  It will recommend the most cost-effective streaming / TV services that enable you watch more of your team’s games.  This “Coverage Coach” feature is aimed at helping users save money while watching more of the games you care about.  This took me a long time to code, so I hope it’s helpful for people that are trying to save money and still watch the games they care about.  

And now for my favorite part of the app…..

SportsDeck provides each of your team’s news, podcasts, YouTube videos, and fan talk in one place. As someone that has lamented the decline of the sports page in the newspaper, think of this as the ultimate sports page for each of your teams.  These articles, podcasts and YouTube channels are curated by SportsDeck.  This is the “Pulse” of SportsDeck.    

The Pulse section of the app includes a “front page” with the biggest sports stories from around the globe and articles from a curated list of the best sports writers on the planet.  But most importantly, it includes your team’s news and podcasts and YouTube channels from local beat writers, trusted sources, and national authors.  There are 454 Pulse pages for different teams and different sports leagues.  It is a ridiculous operation for a one-man blog show to have built, and I freaking love it.  Seriously – check it out.

Last, you will get a morning email with your day in sports.  Every morning, your team’s games, times, and where to watch will show up in your inbox before your coffee’s been poured.  This email will also contain your team’s biggest sports stories over the prior 24-hour period.  

There’s also an iPhone widget and game alerts, so your iPhone home screen can tell you today’s slate before you even open the app.

Did I mention it’s free?

And before you ask: it’s free.

Download it.  Check it out.  See if you, like me, think it’s the sports app that you always wished existed. 

Every user has 1 month of full and complete access to the app.  All the site’s bells and whistles, free.  There’s nothing to lose from downloading and checking it out.  

If you love it, it’d be awesome if you would subscribe – you can go “Pro” for $3.99/month or $29.99/year.  Going “Pro” unlocks unlimited teams and whole leagues.  If you don’t subscribe, that’s ok – you can keep up to 3 teams on your SportsDeck for free, and you’ll still get the full “where-to-watch” experience and daily email. 

Get it here:

• iPhone: SportsDeck on the App Store
• Web (works everywhere): mysportsdeck.com

Personally, I think the iPhone app is the best way to experience the app – you get widgets and game alerts, for example.  However, the web also works great.  

Help Needed

I’m a one-man band ex-lawyer that learned to code. If you download this app and it saves you even one “what time or app is the game on” meltdown this season, or if you really like the Pulse section, please *please* do me a favor: leave a review on the App Store (SportsDeck on the App Store), and tell your friends and neighbors (shout out Jon Hamm) about the app.  Share this article with them.  Spread the word.  Share social media posts about the app.  I need your help with this, and I appreciate y’all.  Thanks Buffs. 

That’s the whole marketing budget. You’re looking at it.

Relatedly, if you’re a marketing guru and have other great ideas about how to spread the word about a killer sports app in an era where everyone is making apps, please let me know.  I’m all ears.  

One more thing, because BuffsBlog readers deserve the truth: this app is why the blog went quiet. Every hour I would have spent writing about spring ball went into this thing instead. But here I am, and the opener is just days away…and CU football is back.   

Let’s go!!!

CU’s Recruiting Pivot

While I was arguing with my computer and trying to learn to code around AI, Deion Sanders quietly built a real, honest-to-goodness high school recruiting class.

You know the history. The Deion Sanders era has been portal-heavy from day one.  However, after last year’s 3-9 faceplant, the staff clearly decided the churn-and-burn model had hit its ceiling. The 2027 recruiting class is the CU program’s pivot point —  CU has 20 high school commits as of late August, the most of any Sanders class at CU.  The 247Sports Composite ranks the class No. 32 in the country and No. 3 in the Big 12. 

The fascinating story here is that Sanders built this class without leaving Boulder. He takes no off-campus recruiting trips as he recruits by FaceTime and only sees players when they’re in Boulder on their official campus visits. The heavy lifting on the road belongs to the personnel department and several position coaches including newly-svelte OL coach Gunnar White, a Mississippi native whom 247 rates the No. 2 recruiter in the Big 12 this cycle, recruiting director Rashad Rich (whom 247 ranks the No. 9 recruiter in the Big 12 this cycle), and Nashville-native personnel director Darrius Darden-Box (whom 247 ranks the No. 15 recruiter in the Big 12 this cycle). 

We see you, Gunnar White. We see you.

So who ARE these high school guys? Grab a drink, we’re going through the offensive commits today. All rankings are as of publication and subject to the whims of the Recruiting Industrial Complex.  [As an aside, from a recruiting website standpoint I want to give a shout out to Brian Howell and his new gig with On3’s BuffBlitz, Jack Carlough and his new gig with 247’s BuffInsider, and Liz Munstertiger for keeping Adam’s passion alive with the newly launched BuffStampede].

The Quarterback

Andre Adams — QB, Antioch (Antioch, TN)

Adams is a dual-threat QB that committed to CU over offers from Florida State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech.

The Vitals: 6-2, 180 lbs. 247 Composite: 4-star, 0.9279, No. 182 overall, No. 15 QB, No. 8 in Tennessee. Committed April 14, 2026.

Start with the headliner. Andre Adams is the highest-rated commit in this class, and by the 247 Composite’s math he’s the No. 25 highest rated commit at CU since 2000.  [As an aside, earlier this summer found an old copy of my Buffalo Sports News from 1993 and it noted that CU had the 7^th ranked class in the country that year.  CU’s football history does predate both the rivals/247/On3 era and the Deion Sanders Experience™.]  

Last year Adams had 3,418 passing yards and 35 touchdowns against one interception, plus 855 rushing yards at 8.5 a pop and 13 more scores. Along the way he set the Tennessee state record for total yards in a single game — 714 yards (507 passing, 207 rushing) in a 54-40 win over Centennial — breaking a mark that had stood since 2013. He was a Tennessee Mr. Football finalist and picked up an Under Armour All-America Game selection. 

Adams started as a true freshman at Antioch High School and helped snap Antioch’s 22-game losing streak, taking the program to its first playoff berth since 2016. And in the NIL era, I must salute the family’s negotiating posture.  Adams’ father, his position coach at Antioch High School, is also his agent.  He led negotiations with a firm financial floor —  “if you were under that number, it was a no for sure.” 

Adams recruitment came down to Florida State, Kentucky and Virginia Tech.  CU’s closer was offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, whose lone off-campus recruiting trip of the entire spring was to Nashville to see Adams. Adams will fit in with the Deion Sanders Experience™ as he announced his commitment live on ESPN’s Pat McAfee Show.

247’s evaluation calls him an “elastic dual-threat quarterback” with a quick release and off-platform accuracy, projected as a multi-year Power 4 starter.  He should be a good fit for Marion’s Go-Go offense which has historically been built around a quarterback who can run. He’ll arrive with Juju Lewis entering year three. 

The Running Back

Kylan Bobo — RB, Tupelo (Tupelo, MS)

The Vitals: 5-11, 200 lbs. 247 Composite: 3-star, 0.8733, No. 858 overall, No. 61 RB, No. 25 in Mississippi. Committed July 1, 2026.

Bobo plays at Tupelo High School in Tupelo, Mississippi.  Last year he rushed for 1,726 yards on 8.8 yards per carry with 28 touchdowns while splitting carries with Mississippi State freshman running back J.J. Hill. Bobo has never actually been the lead back at Tupelo, and he was still nearly a 1,800-yard rusher. As a sophomore he was the backup on a Tupelo team that went 14-0 and won the Mississippi 7A championship, which was the program’s first title since 1992 and their first unbeaten season since 1945. As a junior they returned to the title game and lost 21-20 on a 33-yard Hail Mary as time expired. Ouch. 

Bobo has run a verified 11.12 in the 100 meters and 22.69 in the 200 this spring. 247’s scouting report calls him a “smooth, instinctive runner with vision” who makes “nimble cuts in tight quarters.”  He’s an inside runner by projection and a good fit for the “Downhill Door” back in Brennan Marion’s offense.

Bobo’s recruitment came down to Colorado, Arkansas, Memphis and Minnesota, with running backs coach Johnnie Mack as the lead recruiter and Gunnar White assisting. 

Interestingly, Bobo filled the RB spot vacated when one-time commit Steven Alexis flipped to Illinois. CU upgraded with Bobo’s commitment. A back with Bobo’s production in Mississippi’s biggest classification without even being the featured guy is worth a spot on CU’s roster.

The Wide Receivers

Jaiden Kelly-Murray — WR, Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, SC)

The Vitals: 5-10, 170 lbs. 247 Composite: 4-star, 0.8963, No. 377 overall, No. 53 WR, No. 8 in South Carolina. Committed May 25, 2026.

Here’s a first for me: a four-star who committed to a school he had never visited. Kelly-Murray decommitted from South Carolina in April (“When I committed to South Carolina, it was too early”), took stock of roughly 40 offers, and on May 25 held a ceremony to announce for Colorado (over fellow finalists Illinois, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest) despite never having set foot in Boulder. He’d done the whole thing by FaceTime and film study, with CU staffers, in his words, contacting him “every 10 minutes.” He then canceled the official visit he had scheduled for June. 

Kelly-Murray has had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Summerville with 81 catches for 1,202 yards as a sophomore, and 72 catches for 1,072 and 16 touchdowns as a junior.  His team has reached consecutive 5A state finals. He started his high school career as a defensive back (made all-area at DB as a freshman before flipping to receiver), carries a reported 4.41 forty and a 38-inch vertical, and transferred to Oceanside Collegiate for his senior year. 247 projects him as a “high-volume slot weapon” with return-game value and an eventual Power 4 starter. Kelly-Murray had offers from his finalists as well as Florida, Florida State, Penn State and Arkansas.  

Ryan Ferdinand — WR, Palm Beach Lakes (West Palm Beach, FL)

The Vitals: 5-10, 170 lbs. 247 Composite: 3-star, 0.8567, No. 1450 overall, No. 185 WR, No. 157 in Florida. Committed June 26, 2026.

Ferdinand is the late bloomer of the receiver room. Two years ago he was 150 pounds and playing at tiny Palm Beach Christian Prep. Last year he transferred to Palm Beach Lakes, grew into his frame, and as a junior led the Rams in every receiving category with 57 catches, 755 yards, and 7 touchdowns. SI’s scouting report praises his releases, his downfield separation, and his knack for winning 50-50 balls.

He took five visits in June (Pittsburgh, Colorado, Tulane, NC State, Cincinnati) and picked the Buffs at the end of it. His explanation was refreshingly unsentimental for a 17-year-old: “It was just a culture. They treated me like a priority, like they need me. Playing for ‘Prime Time’ is a dream come true, but it’s still a business.” He also relayed Sanders’ pitch: “Out of everybody, he told me he takes care of Florida kids the most.” Given that this class has five Floridians, the pitch appears to be working.

The Offensive Line 

Quick context. When Jordan Seaton bolted for LSU in January (reportedly for the largest OL pay package in college football history), offensive tackle became a massive recruiting priority. OL coach Gunnar White, a Mississippi native, was more than up for the challenge. 

Dewey Young — OT, Kalamazoo Central (Kalamazoo, MI)

Young is a Michigan State legacy that picked the Buffs….and is also Cecil Fielder 2.0.

The Vitals: 6-5, 327 lbs. 247 Composite: 4-star, 0.9110, No. 268 overall, No. 26 OT, No. 7 in Michigan. Committed July 6, 2026.

The second highest-rated commit and the crown jewel of the OL haul. Young cut his 24 offers to a final four of Colorado, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, took official visits to all four, and then committed to the school he’d visited first. And yes, Young has a committable offer (and visited) Georgia but still selected CU.  His commitment announcement — “I’m home Buff Nation, let’s Upthesko” – made me wince (I’m not a “sko” guy) but, nonetheless, I’m excited he’s in the class.   

Here’s the backstory that makes this one fascinating: Young is Michigan State royalty. His father, Duane Young, starred at Kalamazoo Central, was a standout blocking tight end at MSU, and played six NFL seasons after the Chargers drafted him in 1991. His older brother DJ Young was an All-Big Ten offensive lineman at Michigan State and had an NFL cup of coffee himself. Dewey took four visits to East Lansing, held an MSU offer —  and left the family school off his final four entirely. 

On the field, he’s a road grader. 247 praises his “stopping power and phone booth strength”; Michigan’s Prep Redzone scouts call him the best offensive lineman in the state’s 2027 class, noting he has a “balanced pass set, brutal punch.” Now for the potential downside — he leans on raw power over technique against Michigan competition, and the pass-pro details need seasoning. Gunnar White offered him back in May 2025, over a year before the commitment

Also, a fun note — Young is a legitimate baseball player, reportedly hitting .386 with a 1.103 OPS as a junior. A 327-pound man with a .507 on-base percentage. Sounds like Cecil Fielder 2.0.  

Li’Marcus Jones — OT, Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, TN)

The Vitals: 6-5, 285 lbs. 247 Composite: 4-star, No. 393 overall, No. 39 OT, No. 18 in Tennessee. Committed May 24, 2026.

Every recruiting class needs a good heist story, and this one’s a beauty.  As a sophomore at Callaway High in Jackson, Mississippi, Li’Marcus Jones committed to Ole Miss as the very first 2027 pledge of the Lane Kiffin era. He decommitted in June 2025 (“I felt I committed too early”), re-opened everything, drew Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and Oregon offers along the way, and eleven months later picked Colorado out of a final three of CU, Purdue and Mississippi State.

Jones was CU’s first offensive line commit of the cycle, and the profile is of a developmental tackle. He’s 6-5, 285 pounds with what 247’s Andrew Ivins calls a “tapered lower half” that “should eventually play at well over 300 pounds,” graded as a prospect who “could hit big after a developmental period.” SI raves about the athleticism and blindside-protector traits while noting he can get off balance against speed rushers. At Callaway he played left tackle, right tackle AND defensive line, posting 37 tackles, 6 TFL and 3 sacks as a junior for a team that won four games. 

Like several players in this class, he’s finishing high school career somewhere new.  He transferred this spring from Callaway to Brentwood Academy, the Tennessee private-school powerhouse, for his senior year. 247’s Andrew Irvins has noted that Jones “will need to buy into the process at the college of his choice after multiple high school transfers, but has a higher ceiling given how he moves at his size.” 

SI’s OL projection pencils Jones in as the left tackle of this class.

Coderro McDaniel — OT, Brookhaven (Brookhaven, MS)

The Vitals: 6-5, 325 lbs. 247 Composite: 3-star, 0.8822, No. 595 overall, No. 53 OT, No. 16 in Mississippi. Committed June 14, 2026.

And here’s Ole Miss heist No. 2. This one is a proper flip as McDaniel committed to the Rebels on April 21 (“100% committed HOTTY TODDY,” he announced). Gunnar White offered him on May 9. CU got him to Boulder for an official visit the first weekend of June, and on June 14 he announced for Colorado. For those keeping score, Lane Kiffin has now lost his first 2027 commit AND a second offensive line pledge to the newly svelte Gunnar White. [In fairness to McDaniel, he told Ole Miss media even while committed that he planned to keep his recruitment open until December.]

Last year, McDaniel anchored the left side for a Brookhaven team that won the Mississippi 5A state championship (the program’s first title since 2004), beating three-time defending champ West Point in the final at Mississippi State’s stadium. The team was honored by resolution of the Mississippi State Senate. “Feels great to be a champion,” McDaniel said.

Another fun note — McDaniel is a two-time Mississippi state champion in the shot put, with a 50-foot-3 throw this spring, plus a 126-foot discus, plus reported powerlifting numbers that include a 565-pound deadlift. McDaniel is explosive. SI’s evaluation says the film “suggests he has a higher ceiling” than his 3-star rating while conceding his agility needs work and that he projects as the right-tackle bookend to Jones. I actually think McDaniel projects as an interior lineman, and his film reminds me of Chauncey Gooden’s high school film.  
Gooden had offers from 13 schools, including Ole Miss,, Mississippi State, Kentucky, North Carolina and Arkansas.  

Zaquan Linton — OT, Palm Beach Central (Wellington, FL)

The Vitals: 6-5, 293 lbs. 247 Composite: 3-star, 0.8511, No. 1565 overall, No. 122 OT, No. 171 in Florida. Committed June 6, 2026.

Flip No. 3 of the offensive line haul, this one at Miami’s (yes that Miami’s) expense. Linton committed to the Hurricanes in July 2025 over offers from Florida, Kentucky, Louisville and West Virginia.  However, he and Miami mutually agreed to part ways in mid-April. Colorado offered that same month, moved fast, and got him to Boulder for the first official-visit weekend of June. He committed Saturday night, mid-visit, over a finalist group of Florida, Kentucky and UCF. Freshman CU offensive lineman Xavier Payne (who, per sources, has been very impressive this fall camp), a fellow Floridian, helped close the deal on the visit. 

Linton is a former right tackle who transferred from Dwyer High School to Palm Beach Central and won the starting left tackle job as a junior. SI’s evaluation is that he has “quick feet and trench tenacity,” and that he “obliterates defensive ends when sprinting behind the line.” He’s also a track guy (shot put and discus district qualifier).  

Per my extensive research, Mr. Linton will be the first Zaquan in CU football history.  

Jayin Talib — IOL, Allen (Allen, TX)

The Vitals: 6-2, 275 lbs. 247 Composite: 3-star, 0.8500, No. 1598 overall, No. 127 IOL, No. 2001in Texas. Committed June 14, 2026.

Jayin is the nephew of Aqib Talib, the five-time Pro Bowl corner and Super Bowl 50 champ, and more immediately relevant to CU fans, the younger brother of Yamil Talib, the defensive lineman who transferred from Charlotte to Colorado this offseason and is on the roster right now. Jayin even attended Richardson Berkner, Aqib’s alma mater, before transferring to Allen for his junior year. So when Gunnar White offered him in April and hosted him in June, the sales job was half done — his brother lives there.

Allen is one of the biggest programs in America has a $60 million stadium. Talib was first-team all-district at center as a junior for an Allen team that went 14-1 and reached the 6A state semifinals for the first time since 2018. 

For folks worried about his relatively pedestrian recruiting ranking, don’t – centers are typically underrated in recruiting rankings.  It’s hard to evaluate the skills that make centers great.  247’s evaluation praises exactly what you want in a center – he’s heady, uses leverage well and plays with a low base. He was actually unranked when he committed and the composite number arrived later. Centers get no love.

OSIROWTHNTDWCUTIFI (or Other Stuff I’ve Read or Watched That Have Nothing to do with CU that I Found Interesting)

–As someone that had a job in high school writing obituaries for the Longmont Times-Call, I found this article on the art of the obituary by Sam Roberts to be a great read.  https://longreads.com/2026/08/11/obituaries-new-york-times-sam-roberts/  

–This article on a pastor creating an AI duplicate of himself is worth a read.  https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/ai-twin-pastor-justin-lester-california-church.html

–Magical mystery toads?  https://longreads.com/2026/08/04/psychedelic-toads-ego-trip-kimon-de-greef/

–Why didn’t I learn to play piano this way?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_2XVUPxcoA

–Why is India so bad at sports?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldTVhin-pTM

–Turn it up.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBtTEc7HV6k

More CU content!

Want more from BuffsBlog? Here’s our full guide to every streaming option for college football this season (and yes, it pairs nicely with a certain app):

How to Watch College Football in 2026: The Best Streaming Options for Fans

SportsDeck Redux

One last time, and then I’ll leave you alone about it (today).  

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about putting an app on the App Store — nobody finds it. There’s no shelf. There’s no aisle. There’s a search bar and an algorithm, and that algorithm cares about two things: how many people downloaded it, and what they said about it. Right now SportsDeck has just a few reviews. I can tell you the names of most of the people who left them.

So here’s the ask, and it’s small. Download it. Follow the Buffs, punch in whatever TV services you’re already paying for, and see if it makes your life easier.  Read your Pulse pages.  If you like it, please take ninety seconds and leave a review. 

Then tell a couple of people about it. One text to your dad, or the guy you watch games with.  One share on social media.  That’s the whole growth strategy, and it beats anything I could afford to buy.

Thanks, y’all. Genuinely.

Go Buffs!