Looks like Deion Sanders’ already hit another rock bottom with recruiting. The Buffs saw three of its pledge dips with the early signing period coming up. Amid all this, Deion Sanders promises to gain some momentum in recruiting at Boulder before the deadline.

The Colorado (CU) football team is having a tough season, with a record of 3-8 overall and 1-7 in the Big 12. While CU may not seem as attractive to top recruits as other programs, especially post-Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter era. However, coach Sanders believes there are still good players who could get opportunities to play for the Buffs. Some of these players were seen during the Buffs’ weekend  42-17 loss to Arizona State.

Deion Sanders even gave a first-timer walk-on WR in a running back position a chance to score over the weekend. Everybody’s getting the dough in Boulder. That might motivate young recruits to join the Boulder program.

Right now, CU has nine high school players and one junior college player committed for the 2026 class. Their recruiting class ranks 98th in the country. This is lower than it was a few weeks ago because some top recruits, like Emanuel Ruffin, Gavin Mueller, and D’Montae Tims, changed their minds and decided to switch to programs with the likes of Ohio and Indiana.

Deion Sanders’ idea of luring in players is simple. Win the reps, you are starting for the Buffs regardless of which class you are :

“They know what time it is, man, they know what time is,” Sanders said. “Guys want to play. They want to come and play. So if they see opportunity, like I said before, dawgs see an opportunity, they want to play.”

Even though CU lost some recruits, there are still talented players committed, like four-star linebacker Carson Crawford and four-star safety Preston Ashley. One reason for the low ranking is that CU has fewer total commitments than most Big 12 teams. For perspective, West Virginia has 31 commits, while CU has only 10. However, the average rating of CU recruits is still among the better teams in the conference.

CU recently hosted several official visitors, including top players who are already committed to other schools like Penn State, Florida State, and Boston College. These visits allow CU to show players what the program has to offer. Current CU commits also visited to support the team and help attract new recruits.

Looking ahead, coach Sanders and his staff will focus on which current players might enter the transfer portal, which opens January 2-16. Some players may leave on their own, while others might be encouraged to move on. Sanders emphasized that the team is prepared for all possibilities and wants to make the best decisions for both the players and the team’s future success. To make this even better, even his AD believes in Deion Sanders and Boulder’s future regardless of how ugly the last few weeks has been.

AD Rick George back Deion Sanders off Hot seat

After a solid 2024 season where Colorado went 9-4 but lost their fifth straight bowl game, some fans hoped Deion Sanders could turn the Buffaloes’ program around. His fame had already brought national attention to the school. However, in 2025, the team struggled, going 3-7 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 play, meaning they will probably miss a bowl game for the second time under Sanders.

Some fans began questioning Sanders’s job security, but Colorado Athletic Director Rick George was clear in his support. On social media, George wrote, “The seat is not hot,” and said the school believes in the program’s future under Sanders. The coach also has a five-year, $54 million contract that runs through 2029.

Sanders himself addressed the criticism, saying he is built to handle adversity and change. He told reporters, “If anybody is built to overcome situations and trials and tribulations, I am. You’ve got the right man. I promise you, you do. And I’m going to prove that to you.”

With George stepping down as AD at the end of the year, Sanders will still have the school’s backing as he faces future challenges.