This is version 2.0 of the BuffsBlog.com DEFENSIVE RECRUITING BOARD. Version 2.0 of the offensive recruiting board can be found at:
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance
You’ll notice the final column in the recruiting board is called “So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance.” This lists the current likelihood of said player eventually suiting up for the Buffs. Since we are still very, very early in the class, take the “So You’re Saying There’s a Chance” column with many grains of salt. There are several potential responses in the column:
* No: This is reserveds for athletes that have already committed to another school. It’s important to note that commitments are not binding at this stage and it is common for players to de-commit and re-commit in a recruiting season. Therefore, take the “No” more in the spirit of “No for now.” In fact, I’m thinking of changing this to “Committed Elsewhere” because “no” seems so definitive for 2025. Stay tuned to see if we make that change.
* Probably not. This is reserved for players that haven’t expressed much interest in the Buffs thus far in the recruiting process or that have expressed significantly more interest in other programs.
* Stay tuned. This is reserved for players that have a link to Colorado somehow, that have expressed interest in the Buffs, that have visisted or intend to visit CU, or that otherwise make too much sense not to consider playing in Boulder. New in Version 2.0, those delineated with an asterik (*) are those that are further along in their CU interest than others. Those are the players that CU is in good to very good shape with.
At this early stage, this board is best used to get a stance on offers and potential early interested players. Again, however, given the early stage of recruiting, take this all with a grain of salt. This is fun, people.
This recruiting board will be updated regularly on this site to keep you informed of the state of the class of 2025/26.
A Note on Premium Info: No illicit sharing of said material will appear on this site. Players are listed with interested schools in their profiles or social media; this information is public. Commitments are by definition public. If you want a clearer picture than what can be gleaned from free browsing, subscribe to 247, Rivals or On3.
If you really want to know how things stand, Colorado fans are blessed with an incredible set of insiders at 247 and Rivals. I recommend them.
So, let’s jump in:
EDGE
CU is in great position with several highly regarded edge prospects, including top 10 national player Tyler Atkinson. Atkinson is a national recruit and all of the blue bloods also circling. IMG Academy prep Jake Kruel has also listed CU as a leader, and Shaun Scott has noted that CU stands out in comparison to other schools. Tristan Lyles out of Alabama is another name to watch – that one could come down to CU and Auburn.
Last year, Colorado reeled in 4 star edge London Merritt, who is already drawing whispers that he may be a difference maker this upcoming season. The Buffs landed Alexander McPherson as well, but McPherson is probably a 3-technique defensive lineman as opposed to an edge.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Tyler Atkinson | 4+ stars | Logansville, GA | Atkinson is a top 10 player nationally; has visited with Deion Sanders | Stay tuned* | |
| Jake Kreul | 4 stars | Bradenton, FL | Listed CU among top schools | Stay tuned* | |
| Tristian Givens | 4 stars | Columbus, GA | Leans Florida State | Probably not | |
| Kevin Ford Jr. | 4 stars | Duncanville, TX | Probably not | ||
| Derek Colman-Brusa | 4 stars | Burien, WA | 3 way race between WA, Ohio State and Oregon | ||
| Cam Brooks | 4 stars | Thomasville, GA | Cut list to 8 schools, didn’t include CU | Probably not | |
| Colton Yarbrough | 4 stars | Durant, OK | Committed to Arkansas | No | |
| Shaun Scott | 4 stars | Santa Ana, CA | Mater Dei prep says that CU “stands out” | Stay tuned* | |
| Elijah Littlejohn | 4 stars | Charlotte, NC | Leans Georgia and North Carolina | Probably not | |
| Daniel Norman | 3 stars | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Stay tuned…. | ||
| Tristan Lyles | 3 stars | Phenix City, AL | Notes that Colorado has “made him a priority” | Stay tuned* | |
| Julian Hugo | 3 stars | Cibolo, TX | Stay tuned… |
DEFENSIVE LINE
With an increased emphasis on high school recruiting, expect Colorado to add at least 2 defensive linemen. James “JJ” Johnson is fast rising up recruiting boards and could be a top 25 player nationally by signing day. He has expressed real interest in Colorado thus far.
A couple of other names to keep on your radar are “TI” Umu-Cais out of Cherry Creek High School and big man Joseph Peko. Peko, the son of newly named CU defensive line coach Domata Peko, has offers from USC, Oregon, Michigan, and Miami, but I’d be surprised if he doesn’t end up in Boulder. Peko’s brother, Domato Peko Jr., is also listed on the hot board under “Athlete” below.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Lamar Brown | 4+ stars | Erwinville, LA | Leans A&M and LSU | Probably not | |
| Vodney Cleveland | 4 stars | Birmingham, AL | Named top 6 that didn’t include CU | Probably not | |
| Bryce Perry-Wright | 4 stars | Buford, GA | Probably not | ||
| Tomuhini Topui | 4 stars | Santa Ana, CA | Committed to Oregon | No | |
| James Carrington | 4 stars | Las Vegas, NV | Probably not | ||
| Deuce Geralds | 4 stars | Suwanee, GA | |||
| Darryus McKinley | 4 stars | Lafayette, LA | Leans LSU (brother plays at LSU) | Probably not | |
| James Johnson | 4 stars | North Ft. Meyers, FL | Visiting Boulder in March | Stay tuned* | |
| Titan Davis | 4 stars | St. Louis, MO | CU didn’t make top 14 | Probably not | |
| Tufaua Ionatana-(“TI”) Umu Cais | 3 stars | Denver, CO | Cherry Creek standout has visited 5 schools, including CU | Stay tuned* | |
| Preston Carey | 4 stars | Bradenton, FL | Probably not | ||
| Manoah Faupusa | 3 stars | San Francisco, CA | Probably not | ||
| Joseph Peko | 3 stars | Westlake Village, CA | Father is CU defensive line coach Domato Peko | Stay tuned* | |
| James Morrow | 3 stars | Buford, GA | Probably not | ||
| Christopher Knauls | 3 stars | Frisco, TX | Probably not |
LINEBACKERS
Expect Colorado to add at least two linebackers in this year’s class. Names to watch out include Izayia Williams, Rodney Colton Jr., Adam Balogun-Ali and Jamarion Phillips. The former 3 are all 4-star players that are being recruited by national blue bloods while Phillips, the 3-star, has offers from Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Missouri. These are all national recruits. If CU could land 2 of these 4 players, that would be a fantastic haul.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Anthony Jones | 4+ stars | Mobile, AL | Leans Alabama and Auburn | Probably not | |
| Simeon Caldwell | 4 stars | Jacksonville, FL | May lean Notre Dame | Probably not | |
| JaMichael Garrett | 4 stars | Auburn, AL | Committed to Auburn | No | |
| Samu Moala | 4 stars | Lawndale, CA | Committed to Texas A&M | No | |
| Malik Morris | 4 stars | Lakeland, FL | Probably not | ||
| Izayia Williams | 4 stars | Tavares, FL | Visiting CU in June | Stay tuned* | |
| Rodney Colton Jr. | 4 stars | Newnan, GA | Visiting CU in June | Stay tuned* | |
| Adam Balogoun-Ali | 4 stars | West Palm Beach, FL | Stay tuned* | ||
| Anthony Davis | 4 stars | Loganville, GA | Leans Auburn | Probably not | |
| Dennis King III | 3 stars | Daytona Beach, CA | Stay tuned… | ||
| Manny Lewis | 3 stars | Waxhaw, NC | Son of former CU defensive line coach Damione Lewis | Probably not | |
| JJ Bush | 3 stars | Theodore, AL | Leans Mizzou | Probably not | |
| Jamarion Phillips | 3 stars | Dallas, TX | CU landed in top 9 | Stay tuned* | |
| Jayden McClure | 3 stars | Mount Pleasant, TN | Probably leans TN | Stay tuned… | |
| Maurice Barnes | 3 stars | Harrisburg, PA | Leans Penn State | Probably not | |
| CJ Sibley | 3 stars | Buford, GA | Leans Ohio State | Probably not | |
| Ryan Mallory | 3 stars | Richmond, TX | Stay tuned… | ||
| Shane Rochelle | 3 stars | Miami, FL | Probably not |
CORNERBACKS
If we’ve learned anything during the Deion Sanders era at Colorado, it’s that secondary play should always be strong. There were 0 corner commits in the 2024-25 class, so this is a position that we could realistically see 3+ high school commits in this upcoming class.
CU is heavily recruiting 5-star corner Chauncey Kennon as well as 4-star corner Dorian Barney. Both of them have offers from coast-to-coast but have shown real interest in the Buffs. Others that have expressed interest include Amari Jones, Donovan Webb, and Hayward Howard Jr.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Chauncey Kennon | 4+ stars | Sarasota, FL | CU made top 10 | Stay tuned* | |
| RJ Sermons | 4 stars | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Committed to USC – father played at USC | No | |
| Dorian Barney | 4 stars | Carrollton, GA | CU made top 12 | Stay tuned* | |
| Zach Fort | 4 stars | Bradenton, FL | Committed to Georgia | No | |
| Elbert Hill | 4 stars | Akron, OH | Leans Ohio State | Probably not | |
| Caden Harris | 4 stars | Brownsville, TN | Probably not | ||
| Camdin Portis | 4 stars | Charlotte, NC | Committed to Miami (yes, that Miami); son of Clinton Portis | No | |
| Jaelen Waters | 4 stars | Seffner, FL | Decommitted from Florida; leans Miami | Probably not | |
| Amari Jones | 3 stars | Bradenton, FL | Visited Boulder in November | Stay tuned* | |
| Donovan Webb | 3 stars | Frisco, TX | Visiting CU in March (also visiting Michigan, Ohio State and LSU) | Stay tuned* | |
| Joey Thomas III | 3 stars | Burien, WA | Probably not | ||
| Ksani Jiles | 3 stars | Bradenton, FL | Committed to Miami (yes, that Miami) | No | |
| Justin Lewis | 3 stars | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Committed to North Carolina | No | |
| CJ Lavender | 3 stars | Santa Ana, CA | Probably not | ||
| Jayden Crowder | 3 stars | Rancho Santa Margarita, CA | Committed to Cal | No | |
| Therman Williams | 3 stars | Corona, CA | Stay tuned… | ||
| Jermiyah Douglas | 3 stars | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Probably not | ||
| Dominic Turnbull | 3 stars | Miami, FL | Leans Corndogs and Michigan | Probably not | |
| Hayward Howard Jr. | 3 stars | New Orleans, LA | Visited CU for Baylor game last season | Stay tuned* |
Safeties
With Antonio Branch Jr. the only safety commit in last year’s class, CU will look to add 2+ safety commits in this year’s class. CU offered Jordan Deck last week and he immediately set up a visit to Colorado, which is a great sign. CU is also in good position with Karajius Hayes. Hayes would immediately vault to the top section of the “All-Time Names” list at Colorado.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Jet Washington | 4+ stars | Las Vegas, NV | Nephew of Kobe Bryant; CU not listed in top 11 | Probably not | |
| Blaine Bradford | 4 stars | Baton Rouge, LA | CU not in top 5; leans LSU | Probably not | |
| Chace Calicut | 4 stars | Houston, TX | Leans Texas | Probably not | |
| Kaden Gebhardt | 4 stars | Lewis Center, OH | Leans Ohio State | Probably not | |
| Jordan Deck | 4 stars | Frisco, TX | Visiting CU this Spring | Stay tuned* | |
| Craig Tutt | 4 stars | Murfreesboro, TN | Probably not | ||
| Xavier Lherisse | 3 stars | Melbourne, FL | Committed to Oregon | No | |
| Markel Ford | 3 stars | Mesquite, TX | Committed to Texas A&M | No | |
| Isaiah Williams | 3 stars | Missouri City, TX | Leans Texas; CU not in top 5 | Probably not | |
| Wassie Lugolobi | 3 stars | Sammamish, WA | Committed to Washington | No | |
| Djimon McLendon | 3 stars | Tucker, GA | Leans Georgia Tech | Probably not | |
| Emarri White | 3 stars | Roanoke Rapids, NC | Probably not | ||
| Karaijus Hayes | 3 stars | Sarasota, FL | Stay tuned* |
Athletes
Names to watch for include WR Tyler Wortham out of Sarasota Florida. Wortham is the teammate of safety prospect Karajius Hayes. Safety prospect Aaron Bradshaw is another — Bradshaw was high school teammates with current CU Buff Quentin Gibson and has offers from Arizona State, Houston, LSU, Michigan State, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and West Virginia.
Edge Domato Peko Jr. is the son of CU defensive line coach Domato Peko Sr. He originally enrolled at Hawaii before playing at Ventura Junior College. It would not be surprising if both he and his brother, Joseph Peko, end up playing for their dad at CU.
| Name | Ranking | Hometown | Notes | Committed | So you’re saying there’s a chance |
| Brandon Arrington | 4+ stars | Spring Valley, CA | Leans Texas A&M; CU not in top 12 | Probably not | |
| Kendre Harrison | 4+ stars | Reidsville, NC | Committed to Oregon | No | |
| Jabari Brady | 4 stars | Pompano Beach, FL | Probably not | ||
| Justice Fitzpatrick | 4 stars | Fourt Lauderdale, FL | Brother of Minkah Fitzpatrick; leans Miami | Probably not | |
| CJ Sadler | 4 stars | Detroit, MI | Leans Michigan | Probably not | |
| Aaron Gregory | 4 stars | Douglasville, GA | Committed to Texas A&M | No | |
| Samari Matthews | 4 stars | Cornelius, NC | CU not in top 4 | Probably not | |
| Jonah Winston | 3 stars | Hoover, AL | Younger brother of Jameis Winston | Stay tuned… | |
| Tyler Wortham | 3 stars | Sarasota, FL | Teammate of safety prospect Karajius Hayes | Stay tuned* | |
| Madden Riordan | 3 stars | Chatsworth, CA | Committed to USC | No | |
| Shavar Young Jr. | 3 stars | Committed to Clemson | No | ||
| Ansu Sanoe | 3 stars | Lake Oswego, OR | Committed to Washington | No | |
| Jameson Powell | 3 stars | Folsom, CA | Committed to Old Miss | No | |
| Tay Lockett | 3 stars | San Diego, CA | Committed to Arkansas | No | |
| Allen Blaylock | 3 stars | Harbor City, CA | Visited Boulder previously | Stay tuned.. | |
| Isaiah Ene | 3 stars | Granite Bay, CA | Committed to Sacramento State (!) | No | |
| Devonte Anderson | 3 stars | Winter Gardens, FL | Favors UCF, Auburn, Mizzou and Michigan State | Probably not | |
| Jerod Terry | 3 stars | Chatsworth, CA | Committed to Sacramento State (!) | No | |
| Carmen Upshaw | 3 stars | Tallahassee, FL | Stay tuned… | ||
| Daylen Green | 3 stars | Quincey, FL | Stay tuned… | ||
| Hannibal Carter Navies | 3 stars | Buford, GA | Stay tuned… | ||
| Aaron Bradshaw | 3 stars | Fort Worth, TX | HS teammate of recent enrollee Quentin Gibson | Stay tuned* | |
| Domato Peko Jr. | 3 stars | Ventura, CA | Juco product is son of new CU defensive line coach Domato Peko Sr. | Stay tuned* |