Yesterday CU got a commitment from 4-star defensive back Preston Ashley. It was considered a bit of a surprise since Ashley is a Mississippi native and his father and uncle both played at Ole Miss. CU will need to continue recruiting Ashely through signing date but the early returns look good.
There is an open question as to whether Ashley will play corner or safety at CU. He has said he prefers cornerback but CU has listed him, at least for now, as a safety. Scouting experts think that his ball-tackling skills might be better suited for safety. We think he’ll start at CU at corner (primarily because of his size) but that by the time he’s an upperclassmen there’s a good chance he’s playing free safety. At the vert least, his positional flexibility will be very useful to CU’s defensive coaches and give them a lot of options in the defensive backfield.
Let’s dive in.
High School Career
Ashley played his high school football at Brandon High in Mississippi. Listed around 5-11 and 175 pounds, he posted 68 tackles (including 3 TFLs), 1 sack, 1 interception and even a fumble-return touchdown during his junior season. Over his three varsity seasons he racked up 168 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss, 2 interceptions, 8 passes defensed and a forced fumble.
Encouragingly, Ashley did not give up a touchdown his junior year (!!!), and he’s shown a willingness to attack the run game. He has impressive burst too – he’s clocked a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and recorded a 10-foot-plus broad jump at a camp his sophomore year.
Those measurables, combined with a 4.0 GPA, helped earn him an invitation to the 2025 Under Armour Next All-America Game.
Ashley was ranked the #214 player nationally on the 247 composite, the #19 safety nationally, and the #9 player in Mississippi. Ashley was ranked the #91 player nationally by ESPN (although, to be fair, ESPN’s scouting department is probably the least comprehensive relative to 247, Rivals and On3).
Recruiting Journey
Ashley collected over 25 scholarship offers by mid-2025, including offers from powerhouses like Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, the Corndogs, UCLA and Auburn. His recruitment figured to be a southern battle given his family ties to the south, but the Buffs offered in March and Ashley was intrigued. He visited in June and almost immediately trimmed his list to Colorado, Florida and FSU.
As he told On3, “the visit [to Boulder] is what did it. It was first time there, and everything was right. I fit like a glove there with the system they run.”
He also noted the staff immediately sold him on the pro pedigree around Boulder. “I get the best coaching like I’ve been getting from home when I go to Colorado because coach [Kevin] Mathis, coach [Robert] Livingston, Coach Prime – they all have been in the big leagues,” Ashley said.
Ashley committed to Coloardo on June 24th.
Scouting Strengths
Ashley’s tape and camp clips highlight smooth, fluid coverage skills and exceptional instincts. Observers rave about his technique: he plays with a calm, composed backpedal and sound footwork. Gridiron Football watched Ashley play in a camp last year and praised his “incredibly smooth backpedal” and noted that “everything is fluid and calm, with well-executed hand placements.”
Athletically, Ashley is no slouch. His 4.5 speed translates to the field and underscores his explosiveness.
These traits show up in plays: he closes on deep balls and runs very well in open space. On tighter routes and hitches he displays instincts, often taking aggressive steps to disrupt short passes. All told, Ashley projects as a playmaking defensive back – fluid in coverage, rarely caught flat-footed, and physically willing to battle at the catch point. He also scrapes downhill to make tackles; his tape is full of run-support plays where he comes up to chop down ballcarriers with pop. His willingness to hit people in the run game is what makes Ashley different than many other highly regarded cornerbacks.
Scouting Weaknesses
Despite the upside, some refinement will be needed. Physically, Ashley is still adding bulk – at about 175 pounds he’ll need to continue strength training to hold up in college. His tackling form, while aggressive, is a bit raw. In camp settings, evaluators noticed that he lunges at feet occasionally; polishing that technique (wrapping up properly) will be key for him to excel in run support.
Still, after a year or two in CU’s weight training program, we expect Ashley to be 195 pounds and a menace in the defensive backfield.
Fit in Boulder
Colorado’s new scheme under DC Robert Livingston is tailor-made for athletes like Ashley. Livingston’s pro-style 4-2-5 hybrid values DB versatility. Ashley gives CU a corner that can really play the run, or a safety that can cover as well as a corner. Those players are critical because they give Livingston freedom and flexibbility in his defensive formations and substitutions. Livingston will put Ashley in position to make plays, and Ashley will be asked to do what he does best – cover aggressively and create turnovers.
Early on, we suspect that Ashley will likely compete as an outside corner or slot guy (reminiscent of how the staff moved Hunter around), but he does projects as a safety option. His tackling willingness and run reads could make him a good fit in the box or in deep coverage, especially once he adds muscle.
Ashley’s long-term upside is high: with an NFL-experienced coaching staff mentoring him and a father who played in the NFL, Ashley has the pedigree to dream big.
Welcome to the black and gold, Preston.