The CU football program is rolling out the red carpet once again this weekend (June 21–22) with 4 big-time prospects.
One of the visitors is Preston Ashley, a 4-star defensive back from Mississippi. Ashley (5’11”, ~180 lbs) is one of the top safeties in the nation (top 20 at his position by 247Sports) and has whittled his choices down to Colorado, Florida, and Florida State. He’s the kind of rangy, academic-minded (4.0 GPA) athlete Deion Sanders loves. Ashley’s dad and uncle both played for Ole Miss, which adds a complication to his recruitment – but Colorado made a huge impression on his earlier visit, and landing him would be a coup in SEC country.
Also visiting is C.J. Sadler, a dynamic 4-star athlete out of Detroit’s Cass Tech. Sadler is a Class of 2026 playmaker who likes to compare himself to Travis Hunter for his potential to play both receiver and corner. He’s already the State of Michigan’s top-ranked recruit and boasts offers from the likes of Alabama, Michigan, Miami, and USC. Having him on campus gives CU a puncher’s chance – and the staff will no doubt sell the Travis Hunter blueprint hard.
The front seven isn’t neglected either: Rodney Colton Jr., a 4-star linebacker from Georgia, will be in town. Colton is a stout 6’1″, 225-lb tackling machine from Newnan, GA, with a top five of Ole Miss, UCLA, Tennessee, Florida State and Colorado. Getting an SEC area linebacker to seriously consider CU shows the program’s growing pull. Colton’s recruitment will run into August.
Rounding out the group of visitors is under-the-radar Maurice “Mo” Williams, a 3-star cornerback who is currently committed to Liberty. Williams might not have the ranking glitz of the others, but he has plenty of Power-5 suitors sniffing around despite his pledge. The fact that Colorado is bringing in a committed player from Virginia’s Liberty signals they see real potential – perhaps a hidden gem cover corner with length. It wouldn’t be surprising if Williams leaves impressed enough to ponder a flip to the Buffs.
This weekend continues a huge June recruiting blitz for Colorado. In the past two weeks, the Buffs have hosted a parade of talent.
The Buffs welcomed 3-sar LB Ezaya Tokio, 3-star LB Colby Johnson, 4-star DT Tufanua Umu-Cais, massive 4-star defensive lineman Manoah Faupusa, and Florida linemen Ben Gula and Xavier Payne among others.
Tokio is a 6’4″ hybrid linebacker whose stock is rising fast.
Another Poly target that visisted last week is Cherry Creek senior Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais. “TI” is ranked the #1 player in Colorado by 247 and the #4 player in Colorado on the 247 Composite. He has offers from Texas, Oklahoma, Miami, Utah, Washington, Stanford, Arizona State and many more. The 6’3″ 307 pound defensive tackle is another player to watch. CU, Stanford, UCLA and Washington probably lead for TI at this stage.
Faupusa on his visit turned heads: he’s about 6’3″ and nearly 380 pounds, a mountain of a defensive tackle from California’s Santa Margarita Catholic. He’s one of the most physically imposing recruits in the 2026 class and a priority target for Colorado.
Faupusa (along with a cluster of other Polynesian players the Buffs are courting) highlights the impact of new defensive line coach Domata Peko. Coach Peko, a 15-year NFL veteran of Samoan descent, has been leveraging his connections and heritage to build a budding Polynesian pipeline to Boulder. In addition to hosting Faupusa, the Buffs have already secured a commitment from Peko’s son Domato Peko Jr. (a junior college edge playing for Ventura College), and Colorado is also recruiting Peko’s younger son Joseph Peko. Joseph Peko is a 6’3″ 310-lb junior defensive tackle from California. You can bet family ties and Polynesian pride are helping draw interest from prospects like Tokio and Faupusa.
Joseph Peko Jr. is another name to add to the commitment watchlist.
Meanwhile, on the offensive side, big Xavier Payne (6’7″, 320) made an official visit last week. Payne is currently committed to Florida State as a 2026 offensive tackle, but Colorado is making a push to flip him. He’s a top-100 player in the State of Florida. Landing him would steal a jewel from the Seminoles. After his Boulder trip, Colorado is firmly in the mix. Also visiting last week was 4-star Texas wide receiver Jordan Clay, a top 100 overall recruit in 2026 who took an official visit and reportedly came away with Colorado as a frontrunner. Clay, at 6’1″ 190 with blazing speed, would be the kind of marquee offensive weapon the Buffs need.
Another player that is in Boulder today (Tuesday evening June 17th) is 4-star offensive tackle Javeion Cooper. Cooper is ranked the #31 tackle nationally and has offers from Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Syracuse and Oklahoma State. Cooper hails from Melbourne, Florida. Currently a Syracuse commit, his visit to Colorado is not sitting well up with the Syracuse staff — which is a great thing for Colorado.
One last thought on the blue chip players that have visited/are visiting Boulder — the absence of Deion Sanders on these visits definitely doesn’t help recruiting efforts. Players come to CU in part for the now-iconic photo with Sanders. While Sanders’ health is obviously the #1 priority, it does sting that he can’t be in Boulder to welcome these players on their official visits, particularly when he doesn’t do in-home visits.
Recruiting Announcement Watch
A few major decisions are on the horizon for CU targets. First up is local standout Deacon Schmitt, a 4-star offensive tackle from Windsor, CO, who will announce his college choice on June 28th. Schmitt is a 6’5”, 320-pound mauler regarded as the top prospect in Colorado for the 2026 class. His recruitment blew up this spring: he took official visits to Oklahoma, Colorado and Alabama, and had visits scheduled with USC, Tennessee and Nebraska. However, Schmitt recently canceled those latter trips – an indication that he’s likely down to a final three of CU, OU and Bama. The scuttlebutt around Boulder is cautious optimism that the home-state Buffs will win out. Schmitt has been a priority for CU’s coaching staff, who see him as a potential cornerstone player on the offensive line. Beating Nick Saban and Brent Venables for an in-state blue-chip would send a loud message. Keep an eye out on the 28th; Colorado could be getting some big news (literally and figuratively) if Deacon decides to stay home.
Windsor OT Deacon Schmitt will announce his college choice on June 28th.
In August, another announcement will capture Buff Nation’s attention: Rodney Colton Jr. plans to commit on August 9th. Colton is a four-star linebacker from Georgia with an SEC/ACC-heavy offer list. He’s whittled it down to five schools: Ole Miss, UCLA, Tennessee, Florida State, and Colorado. That’s stiff competition, and notably Colton was once committed to South Carolina early in his recruitment. The Buffs will get the last official visit (this coming week on June 20), which is always a good position. By bringing him out to Boulder after he’s seen SEC campuses, Colorado has the chance to leave a lasting final impression. Colton is the kind of speedy, hard-hitting linebacker who could thrive in the Buffs’ defense. It won’t be easy to pry him from the pull of the Southeast, but Colorado might just pull an upset here. We’ll find out in early August.
Finally, there’s growing buzz that Preston Ashley – the 4-star defensive back from Mississippi we discussed above – could be making his decision sooner rather than later. Ashley hasn’t publicly set a commitment date, but sources indicate he may choose his school in the next week or two. Colorado, Florida, and Florida State are believed to be his top three, and the battle is neck-and-neck. Florida insiders feel good about keeping him in the SEC footprint, but Colorado’s confidence has been quietly building since his official visit. Ashley loved the player-focused, character-driven approach of Deion Sanders’ program (not to mention the idea of learning DB play from Deion Sanders himself). This is one to monitor very closely – a verbal from Ashley would give CU a flagship defensive recruit for 2026 and strike another blow in SEC territory.