Some recruits just say the right things. And then there’s Preston Ashley—who didn’t just talk the talk; he spoke straight into Deion Sanders’ legacy. Hours after announcing his commitment to Colorado, the Mississippi four-star dropped a line that turned heads across the college football world. He didn’t tease, hint, or hedge. Ashley flat-out said his mission is to bring what Colorado hasn’t touched in nearly four decades.

A day earlier, Ashley had told BuffStampede.com that Colorado had surged to the top of his list following his official visit. And just like that, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound safety from Brandon (Miss.) High School pulled the trigger. The Buffs beat out Florida and Florida State—two programs that usually feast on Mississippi talent. Ashley became Colorado’s latest prize in the 2026 recruiting cycle, and he wasted no time setting expectations through the roof.

“The thing I’m most excited for is balling and making sure Coach Prime has another thing to his resume, that’s a national championship,” Ashley declared shortly after committing. Bold words, considering the Buffs last won it all back in 1990, during the Bill McCartney era.

That kind of ambition tracks with how Colorado has been recruiting. Ashley is the ninth-best player in Mississippi and sits inside ESPN’s Top 300. He’s not just a solid add—he’s a tone-setter. And Coach Prime didn’t even have to be in the building to land him. Sanders has been away from the team due to health issues, making Ashley’s commitment a testament to the strength of the staff he’s built around him. Ashley had nothing but praise for them: “Just the place of Boulder, and how great coach (Kevin) Mathis and coach (Robert) Livingston are… they can put me in the place I want to be.”

It wasn’t just about relationships, though. Ashley’s versatility jumps off the page—he’s a projected nickel or corner at the next level, a natural playmaker who also returned kicks at the prep level. Last season, he racked up 68 tackles, 3 TFLs, 5 pass breakups, and an interception. And let’s not forget: Brandon went 12-2 and made it all the way to the MHSAA Class 7A title game. He’s a winner.

Ashley was originally going to wait until early September to commit—right around Florida State’s big game against Alabama. But after his Boulder visit, he canceled the rest of the dance. “Everything about it from the coaches to the city… I was really blown away from everything,” he told BuffStampede. And just like that, the Top 20 safety in the country chose to write his story in black and gold.

Florida State out here borrowing Deion’s playbook? Colorado insider spills the tea on FSU’s ‘prime-inspired’ recruiting moves

Just as Colorado was celebrating Ashley’s commitment, whispers started bubbling up around Tallahassee. According to Kevin Borba of Athlon Sports, Florida State might be lifting pages straight from Deion Sanders’ recruiting script.

Borba didn’t mince words. He called it out while talking about Florida State’s recruitment of 2026 QB Jaden O’Neal. FSU apparently rolled out a visit picture of current quarterback Thomas Castellanos handing over the keys to O’Neal—eerily similar to how Colorado pitched Julian Lewis as Shedeur Sanders’ successor. “Florida State pulled off the same darn style… This is a sick idea for an official visit picture,” Borba said.

He didn’t say it was wrong—just that Colorado did it first. “It’s not a bad thing to see people copying in recruiting. It happens all the time,” Borba added. But the subtext? Colorado set the trend. And now others are lining up.

The concept is simple but smart: sell the torch-passing. Sell legacy. Sell now. Sanders offered Julian Lewis the throne—not just a spot in the pecking order. And in this new era of NIL-fueled branding, that stuff matters. Players aren’t just picking teams; they’re picking platforms. “The biggest aspect in Julian Lewis’ recruitment process was him having an opportunity to start right away,” Borba explained. While other schools promised “eventual” starts, Colorado promised Day 1.

Now with Kaidon Salter and Lewis battling it out in Boulder, the Buffs have a new flavor of competition brewing. But the bigger picture here? Sanders’ blueprint is being duplicated. FSU’s O’Neal pitch felt straight off a Boulder storyboard.

As college football sprints deeper into the NIL era, storytelling has never been more important. Who you are, who you follow, who you replace—it all matters. That’s why what Preston Ashley said carries weight. Not just because of the natty promise, but because it shows how Deion Sanders has transformed the pitch itself.