This recruiting tug-of-war truly checks every box. With his announcement set for July 2, five-star 2026 wide receiver Cederian Morgan is at the center of a full-blown arms race. Both Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes and Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are rolling out the red carpet, aiming to secure one of the most electric pass catchers in the country. It’s not just about sales pitches anymore—it’s about firepower. Both teams have a five-star 2026 quarterback to lure the Alabama native with deep balls and perfect throws.

Now, they’re using their biggest chips. Georgia’s top 2026 quarterback, Jared Curtis, is at the OT7 Finals in Florida, playing for Rod Wave Elite among a bunch of other skilled players. And Deion Sanders has his No. 2 2025 five-star QB, Julian Lewis, though he isn’t in the finals. That’s two top-tier signal-callers, both committed to their respective schools, both throwing perfect passes with Cederian Morgan in mind. “I still haven’t made my mind up all the way,” Morgan said during his sit-down with 247Sports.

Cederian Morgan added, “It is going to be a very tough decision for me because all of the schools have the sparkles and the good things about them, and have good people. All of them do a lot of good things as far as winning, development. It is just going to take me to sit down with my family and just talking about the good and the bad about each school and where I think I would fit the best.”

The numbers back the buzz. Morgan, the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2026 class and Alabama’s No. 1 overall player, posted 70 catches as a junior at Benjamin Russell. He didn’t just shine on the gridiron either—he led the Wildcats to a second straight Sweet 16 on the hardwood and made waves in the high jump. A certified multi-sport freak with the kind of profile that turns coaching staffs into recruiters and recruiters into round-the-clock texters.

For Kirby Smart, the pitch is wrapped in consistency and championships. “Coach Kirby Smart, he’s got a great history of winning,” Morgan said. “I know I got me a quarterback there that would be able to get it to me. Jared Curtis and me talk a lot.” Curtis, a 2026 recruit like Morgan, has a strong chance to form a five-star QB-WR duo.

Meanwhile, Deion Sanders has brought energy, flash, and belief to Boulder—and that’s not lost on Cederian Morgan either. “Just how Coach Prime carries himself and the way he carries his team and the standard that he sets. That is great to me,” Morgan said. “I feel like he is building a very special program.” Colorado hosted Morgan for an official visit back in May, and despite being the out-of-region underdog in this race, the Buffs are still high on his list.

But there’s an elephant in the room, and it’s dressed in crimson. Alabama, with its legacy of elite WRs and Morgan’s own roots in Alexander City, remains the school to beat. “Their tradition of winning. And with the new staff coming in, they like to throw the ball. They have had a lot of success with receivers my size. That is why I picked them to be in top five.” Morgan acknowledged. Assuming a Bama kid won’t go to UGA, the Buffs lead in that sense. Not to forget, Morgan already had an OV with the Buffaloes in May, keeping the team high on his list. Still, neither Georgia nor Colorado is letting up. Morgan’s commitment is scheduled for July 2, and until then, the gloves are off.

Agent JuJu is busy trying to secure Cederian Morgan for Coach Prime

While Jared Curtis might be working overtime for Smart, Deion Sanders has his own ace recruiter in five-star Julian Lewis to do the same. Lewis has been doing his best “agent” impersonation, making sure Cederian Morgan feels the love in Boulder. On Morgan’s most recent visit to Colorado, it wasn’t just coaches trying to win him over. It was Lewis, face-to-face, QB1 to WR1, working the charm and painting a future.

“Me and JuJu (Lewis) talked the most. That will be my quarterback. We chopped it up a bunch, and if I did decide to go there, we already have that chemistry,” Morgan told On3.

That’s the type of pitch that’s hard to ignore. Unlike some powerhouse programs, where you wait your turn behind stacked depth charts. Sanders’ recruiting model is built for action now. He doesn’t bring in bloated classes—he brings in believers. Morgan, who’d enter as a freshman in 2026, would have the door wide open to make an immediate impact, especially with Lewis already running the show.

The Buffs’ 2026 class currently ranks last in the Big 12, but adding Morgan would be a rocket boost. Pairing a top-tier QB with a five-star receiver overnight would flip the narrative