Colorado coach Deion Sanders pulled off another five-star splash commitment when Julian Lewis picked the Buffaloes on Thursday over Georgia, Indiana and others after backing off his USC pledge in recent days.
Here are five others Colorado is trying to land heading into signing day that could make a massive impact on this recruiting class as the Buffaloes will also focus on the transfer portal:
What seemed like an impossibility just weeks ago has now become a serious consideration. The new five-star offensive tackle from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy who is originally from Pennsylvania has been committed to Alabama since June but he took a visit to Boulder over the weekend and absolutely loved it.
There are some in Carroll’s orbit who are still leaning toward sticking with the Crimson Tide but Carroll will be the one making the final decision as Alabama pushes to lock him up and Colorado is selling the idea of playing with Jordan Seaton, who has had a phenomenal freshman season, or being the next Seaton on the Buffaloes’ offensive line.
Merritt has been committed since late March and loves the idea of being coached by Larry Johnson along the defensive line but a recent trip to Colorado has him thinking as well. The four-star defensive end was able to spend some weekdays in Boulder, see the team preparation and lead up to the game and that was a big selling point.
The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout will visit Ohio State one more time for the Michigan rivalry next weekend and then finalize his recruitment between the Buckeyes and the Buffaloes. The talk from Colorado’s staff about using his versatility across the defense was a major advantage for the Buffs during his visit there.
What once looked like a battle between Notre Dame and Michigan has changed in recent weeks. The Irish moved on to other linebacker targets and that definitely helped the Wolverines move even higher on Owusu-Boateng’s list but a recent visit to Colorado definitely has moved the Buffaloes into real contention as well.
There is a longstanding relationship with Michigan, he loves the defense in Ann Arbor and the NFL production but the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout had a great time in Colorado, sees a massive opportunity to play early there and now it feels like a two-team race down the stretch as the Buffaloes have definitely made this one way more interesting.
In recent days, Smith told me he was still torn between sticking with his USC commitment that he made in August or flipping to Colorado after a recent visit there.
The four-star offensive tackle has now backed off his pledge to the Trojans and it sure seems like the Buffaloes are the team to beat for the Mobile (Ala.) Williamson standout. Maybe some Southeast schools get involved down the stretch and Smith takes a late interest but this very much looks like the four-star OL will end up in Boulder.
The four-star receiver who’s had 66 catches for 817 yards and 12 touchdowns this season was once committed to Colorado and has had a close connection to Sanders for years so down the stretch that could play a major role in his recruitment.
After early pledges to Texas A&M (under Jimbo Fisher) and Colorado didn’t work out, Watkins really pumped the brakes on his recruitment and is now one of the few Rivals250 prospects who is still on the market. South Carolina, Indiana and many others are involved but especially with Lewis’ commitment now would Watkins take a second look at the Buffaloes?
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