The start of 2025 had to be a tough one for Deion Sanders, wearing both his dad and head coach hats. Seeing players head to the NFL is always bittersweet, especially losing a prized guy like Travis Hunter. But his hyped quarterback son, Shedeur Sanders, went later than some expected as a fifth-round pick, and his other son, safety Shilo, surprisingly went undrafted. Still, Coach Prime can’t dwell on the past. This weekend is huge for the Buffs fam, marking a crucial time to zero in on the future. It’s all about the offseason recruiting trail now. He’s got to use every trick in the book to really build up this Buffs squad for the years ahead.

The 2024 spring transfer portal had left Deion with enough trauma. Courtesy? His former cornerback, Cormani McClain. The young chap claimed that the program plays for “clicks” and thus he wanted to play for a “real” program. With this, Deion was dragged through the mud. While Deion Sanders might have been free from that kind of drama this season, the Buffs still lost 19 players to the transfer portal in the 2024-2025 offseason. He has filled the gaps by adding four transfer portal players in 24 hours. They are defensive back Noah King, safety John Slaughter, offensive tackle Larry Johnson, and running back DeKalon Taylor. Post which, Deion thought of turning his focus to bringing in recruits to build the 2026 class for a second straight weekend.

Amidst them, there is a special attraction. That’s none other than On3 Industry’s No. 2 receiver, five-star Cederian Morgan. The young chap is beginning his official visits in Boulder. Per the On3 Industry Rankings, Morgan is the No. 19 recruit in the Nation, the No. 2 wide receiver, and the No. 2 player from Alabama. Already, he is wooed by Deion, who is competing against Morgan’s top schools— Georgia, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, and Florida. He said, “I’m excited to meet Coach Prime and the staff and also get to Colorado and meet the players and see the campus. They are a potential fit for me because I think I’ll bring the rare combination of size and speed to the receiver room.” Morgan has this one criterion in choosing his home in college. 

The 5-star recruit is looking for a school that will get him into the NFL. Other than him, Deion will take his swing at another terrific receiver this weekend in Georgia commit Vance Spafford. Hailing from Mission Viejo (Calif.), he is the No. 11 receiver in the land and No. 85 prospect overall. The 4-star cornerback Dorian Barney is also on Deion’s hot list.

Per On3, Barney is the No. 141 recruit in the Nation, the No. 18 cornerback, and the No. 19 player from Georgia. Here too, Colorado will have to fight the race with Georgia Tech, Michigan, North Carolina, Penn State, and Texas A&M. Then come in line the IMG Academy team buddies. Offensive lineman G’Nivre Carr and linebacker DQ Forkpa.

Coach Prime is on his way to bolster the defensive back room by targeting Frisco (Texas) Lone Star On300 safety Jordan Deck. Also, he now focuses on landing Frisco (Texas) Panther Creek On3 Industry four-star Donovan Webb. Now, that’s not the end. Freeport (Fla.) High tight end Julius Miles and Maryland offensive lineman Andre Roye Jr. also hold a spot on Deion’s ‘To land’ list. Meanwhile, his favorite JuJu is stirring the pot in Boulder, in a good way.  

Julian Lewis makes his mark early by building Buffs’ brotherhood in Deion Sanders’ squad

Well, we have seen how far Deion went to bring home the Carrollton High School star who had already given his word to USC. Colorado gave him red carpet treatment to snatch him away from Lincoln Riley’s squad. To woo Lewis, the Buffs even got their 101-year-old superfan Peggie Coppom to record a heartfelt video and named a burger after him—JuJu’s Precision Pass burger—at Boulder’s favorite joint. Lewis is already in a tight spot, thanks to the tough competition for the starting role with former Liberty Flames quarterback Kaidon Salter.

Throwing for 7,000 yards and 96 touchdowns over 2 seasons at Carrollton High School? Well, there’s no doubt that JuJu got this. Deion’s favorite JuJu has also been honored as National HS QB of the Year. However, maybe that’s not enough for Colorado to come with clarity. As analyst David Ubben on the Until Saturday podcast leaned on Salter’s side more.

He came with a heartbreaking claim. “You bring in Kaidon Salter, who I think is really a guy that fits your offense well, can be sort of steadying.” Amidst all this uncertainty, Lewis thought of paying back Deion’s squad for all the special treatment he had received.

So, the true freshman had put on his leadership jacket off the field. As Buffs insider Scott Procter reported, Lewis hosted a group of recruits at his house over the weekend. The purpose? To hang out and build relationships. Now, this must have already left a mark on Deion Sanders’ heart. Even though he is not a guaranteed starter, he helps instill confidence in the next-gen players. While Coach Prime often looks for that leadership element in his players, he can now be sure that he made the right choice with Julian Lewis.