They say some programs reload — others have to rebuild brick by brick. Colorado? Well, they’ve been doing a little of both lately. After a rough recruiting stretch brought on by Deion Sanders’ absence while battling bladder cancer, the Buffs were sitting in a spot no fan wanted to see: near the bottom of the Big 12 in recruiting rankings. The haters called it proof that Coach Prime’s shine was wearing off. But this week, Boulder just got a jolt of good news — the type of news that feels less like a fluke and more like the start of a comeback.

Meet Ben Gula, the 6-foot-5, 280-pound interior offensive lineman out of Cypress Bay High in Fort Lauderdale. On Friday, Gula became the 10th commitment in Colorado’s 2026 class—and the third from Florida—as the Sunshine State-to-Boulder pipeline stays wide open under Coach Prime. He picked the Buffs over UCF after a recruitment that saw 21 FBS offers, multiple in-state pushes, and a final decision that had him turning down the hometown program.

The sell? Simple. “Coach Prime told me he doesn’t bring in kids to redshirt them, he expects me to be able to play,” Gula told Rivals last week. “He likes building up kids from high school.” That no-redshirt promise hit different for a guy who wants early snaps. Colorado’s line is wide open for competition, and Prime made sure Gula knew it.

This is no charity add. Gula’s the No. 96 interior OL nationally, with the frame to add 15–20 pounds without losing movement skills. The Buffs have now grabbed two Florida linemen in this class—Gula and Xavier Payne, a former Florida State commit—and that’s huge for a roster that flat-out got bullied in the trenches last season.

Remember 2024? Colorado’s O-line didn’t just struggle—it imploded. Dead last in FBS rushing at 65.7 yards per game, 42-ish sacks allowed, and multiple games with negative rushing yards. Defenses didn’t even have to respect the run, teeing off on Shedeur Sanders every weekend. If you were building a short list of why the Buffs missed their goals, the line would be entries one through three. So yes, a 3-star guard in July might not make national headlines. But in Boulder, it’s a chess move. Gula’s a building block in an offseason mission that’s been loud and clear: fix the line, fix the program.

Recruiting comeback for Deion Sanders?

Prime’s been public about the uphill climb. He knows other programs used his absence as ammo, whispering doubt into recruits’ ears about whether he’d even be in Boulder long-term. Now that he’s shut those rumors down in a press conference — saying he’s here to stay — the game changes. Suddenly, the same kids who were ghosting Colorado are answering calls again.

On Thursday, CU hired East Tennessee State’s recruiting director Devin Ruffin, a guy with deep ties in St. Louis, one of the Midwest’s most fertile recruiting grounds. Moves like that aren’t for optics — they’re pipeline plays. And Gula? He’s just the first domino. Expect more Florida, Midwest, and Texas names popping up on CU’s commit list before December’s early signing day.

Colorado’s still chasing some big fish, too. Multiple uncommitted four-stars are in play, and there’s quiet work being done to flip a couple of current SEC and Big 12 commits. Sanders has made a career out of late-cycle magic — ask anyone who watched last year’s portal haul. The bottom line: this class might look underwhelming on paper now, but if Gula’s commitment is any sign, Colorado’s recruiting board is about to heat up like a skillet in a soul food kitchen. Prime’s back, the pitch is sharper, and the trenches just got a little tougher. That’s how comebacks start.

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