First, the bad news: Colorado’s high school recruiting class is ranked 100th nationally. Schools ranked higher than CU include Buffalo, Arkansas State, Kent State, Ohio, Old Dominion and Georgia State.
CU’s ranking this year is much lower than last, where the Buffs nestled in at #39 nationally (when combined with transfer rankings, CU had the #24 overall class last year).
This high school recruiting class puts tremendous pressure on Deion Sanders to deliver in the transfer portal, which will be open from January 2 through January 16. Buckle up, folks.
Now for the good news: I really, really like CU’s linebacker class. Read below to find out why.
Despite our very real concerns about the small size of this class, there are some great looking prospects in the class that could help CU next season. I will break down CU’s class position by position, who the recruits are, any new updates with them, and some additional notes for signing day.
Defensive Tackle
None.
CU’s defensive tackle situation for the 2026 season appears to be senior-to-be Jeheim Oatis, senior-to-be Gavriel Lightfoot, junior-to-be Brandon Davis Swain and sophomore-to-be Christian Hudson. CU graduated 5 defensive tackles this year – Amari McNeill, Anquin Barnes, Tavian Coleman, Taurean Carter and Tawfiq Thomas.
This is a position that CU whiffed on in recruiting. CU offered 29 defensive tackles and missed on all of them. There’s limited depth here, and there’s going to be a need to add at least 3 or 4 tackles in the upcoming transfer portal.
Some potential good news, though —- keep an eye on Joseph Peko. Joseph is the son of CU defensive line coach Domato Peko. Joseph is a 6’3” 310-pound defensive tackle that is ranked the #103 defensive lineman nationally. Most experts believe he’ll pledge to join the Buffs in the 2nd high school signing period in February. Rumor mill has him committing this January at the Polynesian Bowl over offers from North Carolina, BYU, Michigan, Oregon, USC, UCLA, Miami, and more.
Edge
Speaking of the Peko family….Domato Peko Jr. signed with Colorado this week. DPJ is a 6’4” 220-pound edge who took a decidedly non-traditional path to CU. Coming out of high school (Calabasas, CA), he initially committed to Hawaii in 2023 before deciding to go the junior college route. He spent time at both College of the Canyons and Ventura College before signing with Colorado.
CU was Peko Jr.’s only offer when he committed. However, Arkansas has subsequently offered. Peko is ranked the #7 juco player nationally and the #2 juco edge rusher nationally. Given his experience, Peko Jr. should see the field immediately this upcoming fall. He will have 2 years of eligibility in Boulder. He needs to gain weight, but in his film he looks a lot like Keaten Wade.
Linebacker
I’m much, much more bullish on this year’s linebacker class than the supposed recruiting gurus. Linebacker is the strongest position group in this year’s recruiting class, which is important given the dearth of LBs on the current roster. The only returning scholarship linebackers are senior-to-be Reggie Hughes and junior-to-be Kylan Salter.
Despite signing 3 high school linebackers, look for CU to sign a pair of experienced linebackers in the portal.
Carson Crawford is the highest-ranked signee in the 2026 class. The 4-star former Texas State commit has helped Carthage High School win 28 straight games. In the 2024 4A title game, Crawford logged snaps at seven different positions (!) and he finished this season with 97 tackles, 16 TFLs and six sacks.
He’s coming in as the #202 player nationally and the #11 linebacker nationally. Crawford committed to CU over offers from Arkansas, Houston, San Diego State and more.
Crawford will play right away. In fact, I think it’s possible Crawford earns a starting nod this upcoming season. He is a proven winner and has the athleticism to step onto the field on day one.
Rodney Colton Jr., or “Uno” as he’s called, is a 6’1” 220-pound linebacker out of Georgia who brings an impressive blend of athleticism and intensity. Colton was originally ranked as a top 15 linebacker nationally before falling his senior year, as is now ranked as the #42 linebacker nationally and the #516 player overall.
Uno is a former South Carolina commit that tallied 57 tackles, 10 TFLs and 4 sacks during the 2025 season. He had offers from many college football powers, including Ohio State, LSU, Texas A&M, Penn State, Georgia, Florida State, and more. So how did CU win Colton’s recruiting battle? According to Colton, it took a well-timed personal phone call from Sanders and (current?) LB coach Andre Hart on the eve of his decision, where they sold him on being an early impact player and made a very personal connection (both Colton and former CU receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. have fathers who are incarcerated, something Sanders spoke to in recruiting).
Colton is a future SAM linebacker. Coaches love his intensity. The prediction here is that Colton will see the field this fall, and that in two or three years he’ll be an impact starter. His film really reminds me of Jordan Dizon.
Colby Johnson doesn’t come in with a ton of fanfare but he’s an intriguing athlete. BuffsBlog has already done a Hello! post for Johnson, you can check it out at:
TL:DR: Johnson is a high-ceiling athlete. He runs a 10.8 100-meter dash, which is one of the fastest times by any linebacker in his class. This time would have been a top 20 time in the State of Colorado this year, inclusive of all high school classes. This kid can run, folks. He’ll need to add weight – he’s only 200 pounds – but he projects as a great coverage linebacker and a sideline-to-sideline player. He’s an ideal fit next to Crawford and Uno, because Johnson projects as a future weak-side / hybrid dime linebacker.
He committed to CU over offers from Arizona, Washington State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Wyoming, among several others.
This kid will be very good at Colorado.
Defensive Back
Maurice Williams Jr. is a 5-foot-11, 172-pound cornerback from Louisiana’s storied Edna Karr High School. His game is marked by strong coverage technique and he’s equally comfortable in press man jamming receivers and playing off and reading routes.
The primary knock on Williams is his size. There are real questions about how he’ll hold up against bigger college wide receivers. Williams is ranked the #141 corner nationally. Originally, Williams committed to Liberty back in February 2025. But as his senior year progressed, bigger programs took notice. Colorado got him on campus in late June, and he flipped to CU on his visit. Williams also held offers from Washington, Georgia Tech, Ole Miss and UFC.
One player comp for Williams is CU nickelback Preston Hodge, who is (as Williams almost was) a Liberty Flame.
Preston Ashley is the kind of player that Colorado needs more of. Ashley is a 5-foot-10, 170-pound defensive back whose game is all about speed and playmaking. He is a 4-star player, ranked #220 nationally, and the #22 safety nationally.
Ashley had offers from Florida, Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and many more. He pledged to CU in June and then steadfastly stuck by the commitment despite receiving new financial offers from prospective suitors.
Ashley should see the field early. Even if he’s not in the 2-deep at cornerback this upcoming season, he will be a special teams demon early given his speed and willingness to hit.
Unrelatedly, here are some articles that I recently read that are probably worth reading.
The first is a trip. It’s an article that describes why “COLORADO” hats are so popular in China. https://www.gq.com/story/colorado-hats-in-china-trend
The second is about a nerd turning a football program around. ($) https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6852835/2025/12/03/indiana-football-coach-curt-cignetti-big-ten-championship/
The third is a great guide to each of the teams in the 2026 World Cup. Viva futbol! ($) https://t.co/RdMEi61YT3
Now, for some other “stuff” worth reading. For the offense’s recruiting class roundup, check out the post at:
To read about CU’s roster construction and some related things going on in CU athletics, check out:
Fantastic as always.
And you’re guilty of always giving me a little hope about things even when things are bleak. Not sure if that’s a blessing or a curse.
Thanks for your work!
I’m generally an anxious optimist and I think it spills through the blog….