It’s been almost seven months since Bill Belichick joined North Carolina, and many expected his recruiting magic would follow him right to Chapel Hill. While Coach Belichick has certainly been in the news—partly due to his relationship with Jordon Hudson—things haven’t been easy on the recruiting trail. On the other hand, Deion Sanders is still landing top recruits, even when he’s dealing with an unspecified health issue.

Belichick’s start at UNC has been anything but boring. Bill Belichick pulled in 21 commits for the class of 2026—no small feat. Headliners like Travis Burgess and Zavion Griffin-Haynes gave Tar Heel fans something to brag about. But even the GOAT can’t win them all. The first time Deion Sanders handed Bill Belichick an L was when he recruited Belichick’s defensive target. Joseph Peko. The 6’3”, 310-pound bulldozer from Cali—whose pops, Domata (NFL Vet), just happens to be Colorado’s D-line coach—chose Boulder over Chapel Hill back in April.

But here comes the sequel no one in Tar Heel country wanted: CJ Sadler, the electric, do-it-all athlete from Detroit’s Cass Tech, looks like he’s vibing more with Colorado than Carolina. Sadler gives Travis Hunter-esque vibes.

The 5’10 Swiss-Army baller can play DB as well as WR. We’re talking about someone who piled up 1,043 receiving yards and 14 TDs. Sprinkle in 105 rush yards, 180 passing yards, 55 tackles, four picks, and some house calls on special teams. MaxPreps crowned him Michigan Player of the Year for good reason. His athleticism? Off the charts. His versatility is scary. And his offer sheet is loaded. Michigan, LSU, Bama—they all want a piece. But it’s Colorado, with Coach Prime still out on health leave, that made him feel “like family.”

Greg Smith from Rivals asked Sadler straight up about his Boulder visit without Deion. Sadler’s response? “You know, just the people there. The people that was there, you know, Coach Prime with him being away—just the way they handled it without him, you know, it was kinda nice. And they treated me like family, you know—treated me like little brothers to them. The recruiting staff, to the coaches, to the staff members, the rest of the staff members—it just felt like kinda like family. And I just liked the way they ran it without Coach Prime.” That family vibe you can’t really fake. And mind, this was all with Deion Sanders still away, dealing with his health.

But when it comes to official visits? Only Colorado, UNC, and Maryland have cracked that list so far. Belichick had his shot. Sadler even said about that UNC visit, “Just Coach Belichick, you know—it’s him. So it’s like, just getting to talk to him, you know, sit down and talk to him—it was great, and an honor just to be with a seven-time, you know, dude with all the rings and, you know, one—possibly really kinda like one of the greatest coaches in the NFL, you know what I’m saying?” Props given, sure. But no love shown for the Tar Heels as a squad. Michigan’s leading this race, but don’t count out the Buffs just yet. And now, let’s talk about what’s next down in Boulder.

Prime’s new firepower: Ranking Colorado Buffaloes’ top offensive transfers

Deion Sanders and his staff had a tall order this offseason—replace Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, and a bunch of offensive game-breakers. No easy task, right? But Coach Prime went shopping in the portal and filled his cart with players who can ball. With 33 transfers in total (17 on offense), the Buffs aren’t here to play around.

Starting at No. 5, we’ve got Larry Johnson III. The Tennessee transfer is a 6’7”, 348-pound mountain of a man. He didn’t get much burn in Knoxville, but when he did, like against Oklahoma, PFF graded him out as the Vols’ top lineman. That isn’t nothing. Johnson’s got JUCO grit and Power Four potential—he could anchor the right tackle spot if things click.

Sliding in at No. 4 is Zy Crisler. Another O-line beast at 6’7”, 350 pounds. Crisler brings the resume—28 starts at Illinois and two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention. That experience? Priceless. Colorado’s O-line has been shaky, but Crisler could be the glue guy they’ve needed.

At No. 3, Hykeem Williams. Remember that name? Former five-star out of Florida State. He flashed in Tallahassee—21 grabs, 267 yards, two TDs—but never quite hit his ceiling. Boulder could be where he finds his groove. His size-speed combo? A matchup nightmare waiting to happen. No. 2 is Sincere Brown. After lighting it up at Campbell with over 1,000 yards and 12 scores last year, Brown’s got that underdog fire. Don’t sleep on him—he’s got the tools to shake up the Big 12.

And at No. 1? Kaidon Salter. The former Liberty QB is a game-changer. Dual-threat QB who piled up nearly 6,000 passing yards, 2,000 rushing yards, and 77 total TDs at Liberty. Salter’s stepping into Shedeur’s shoes, and word around the street is he has the QB1 nod over Julian Lewis.