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Deion Sanders and the Colorado football team’s recruiting staff are moving different this offseason.
A new director of recruiting (Rashad Rich) and a new director of player personnel (Darrius Darden-Box) have given the Buffs a fresh feel on the recruiting trail.
“He (Darden-Box) was just in Atlanta and there’s a difference in the way people perceive the logo when they know Box is the guy,” Phillip Dukes said earlier this month on the DNVR Buffs Podcast. “Box being the guy, it gives a boost to the logo when he’s walking down these hallways.
“He literally walked down the hallway with Kenny Fairley one day and he’s committed the next day.”
Three-star defensive lineman Kenny Fairley was Colorado’s third commit in the 2027 class. That group has doubled in size since then with commitments on back-to-back days.
Four-star safety Gabe Jenkins committed to the Buffs on Wednesday after choosing Boulder over Georgia, Michigan, Pitt, Virginia Tech and others. The 6-foot-2, 187-pounder is a former Penn State commit and the No. 1-ranked defensive back in the state of Pennsylvania.
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Later that night, three-star cornerback Will Rasmussen committed to the Colorado football team. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder chose the Buffs over Oregon State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Utah and others.
Three-star linebacker/EDGE Ba’Roc Willis committed to Colorado the day before, picking the Buffs over a handful of SEC offers. The 6-foot-2, 230-pounder is a former Alabama commit who racked up 125 tackles, 23 TFLs and nine sacks as a junior.
The Colorado football team has six high school commits in its 2027 recruiting class as of May 21. On that day last year, the Buffs had just one HS commit in the 2026 class (Domata Peko Jr., the son of a CU coach). It’s evidence of a clear shift in recruiting strategy and execution.
“A championship team,” Fairley said of what’s being built in Colorado. “When I went up there, the energy around the program is really good. If you’re a dawg, you’re going to go there and ball. You just have to put the work in.
“Colorado definitely has a bright future. I feel like they’re changing everything around.”
With that in mind, here’s a look at Colorado’s other top targets and priorities in the 2027 class.
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DL Tyler Alexander
Alexander (6-foot-2.5, 315 pounds) is a top priority for the Colorado football team’s recruiting staff. The four-star DL from Wellington, FL (Palm Beach Central HS) took an official visit to Boulder last weekend alongside Jenkins, Rasmussen and Willis. Alexander has upcoming visits set to Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas which speaks to how highly-coveted of a prospect he is.
DL Khyren Haywood
Haywood (6-foot-1, 260 pounds) is another four-star DL who the Buffs are prioritizing. The Denton, Texas native racked up 24.5 TFLs as a junior and took an official visit to Boulder last weekend. Colorado is battling Arizona, Kansas State, Northwestern and Stanford for Haywood’s services.
“Colorado is for sure a strong contender in my recruitment,” Haywood told Rivals. “They are going to be a top school. They made their way to close to the top of my list.”
WR Khalil Taylor
The Colorado football team already added a playmaker from Pennsylvania to its 2027 class (Jenkins) and is trying to do it again with Taylor. He has racked up over 1,500 receiving yards and 38 TDs over the last two seasons at Pine-Richland HS (Gibsonia, PA).
The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder is a top-15 WR in the nation, according to 247Sports, and would be an elite weapon down the line for Adams. Alabama, Georgia, Nebraska and Penn State stand in the Buffs’ way.
OL Dewey Young
Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion has been on the record saying he wants to recruit “large humans.” Young certainly fits that description at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds.
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The four-star OL from Kalamazoo, MI visited Boulder last weekend two weeks after taking a visit to South Carolina. Young also plays baseball at Kalamazoo Central, which could sway him even closer to Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders.
OL Li’Marcus Jones
Fresh off his official visit to Boulder, Jones put out his final three schools of Colorado, Purdue and Mississippi State. The four-star OL played snaps at both tackle spots as a junior and is light on his feet at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds.
Jones is a good bet to join the Buffs’ 2027 recruiting haul.
OL Antonio Berry
Berry is a four-star interior offensive lineman from Tupelo, MS who took an official visit to Colorado last weekend. The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder will visit Alabama next month (June 19).
Berry’s Tupelo HS teammate, RB Kylan Bobo, is also a target of the Colorado football team who’s slated to visit Boulder next month (June 12).
WR Isaiah Alvarez
Alvarez spent last weekend in Boulder and it was his second visit to Colorado in as many months. The three-star WR will visit Rutgers, Michigan State, Nebraska and Penn State this summer, but his connection with Buffs’ QB commit Andre Adams could be the catalyst.
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ATH Marquis Fennell
Fennell’s game is very similar to Colorado RB DeKalon Taylor’s. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Fennell ran for 1,480 yards (8.2 YPC) and 23 TDs while also catching 53 passes for 764 yards and 10 more TDs as a junior.
Fennell’s versatility makes him a perfect fit in Brennan Marion’s Go-Go offense. He visited Colorado last weekend and has upcoming stops at Stanford, Florida State and Georgia Tech. Fennell will announce his commitment on June 25.
WR Jaden Baldwin
The Colorado football team made Baldwin’s list of final four schools along with Iowa State, Penn State and Pitt. His father (Jonathan) was a first-round NFL Draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011 and Jaden is looking to follow in those footsteps.
The 5-foot-11.5, 180-pound WR from Chandler, AZ will visit Boulder on June 12 and announce his commitment on June 16.
WR Jaiden Kelly-Murray
Jaden Baldwin was a player Andre Adams said he’d like to bring to Boulder with him. Kelly-Murray was, too. The four-star WR from Mount Pleasant, SC totaled 2,159 receiving yards and 27 TDs over the last two seasons. Kelly-Murray has visits planned to Virginia Tech, Illinois and Wake Forest before stopping at Colorado on June 18.
EDGE Drew Sapp
Colorado RBs coach Johnnie Mack recently paid a visit to Sapp’s home, signaling how much of a priority he is to the Buffs. The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder racked up 28 TFLs and 13.5 sacks as a junior. Sapp will officially visit Colorado on June 12 and Mississippi State the week after.
Follow Colorado Buffaloes beat reporter Scott Procter on X.
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