The Colorado Buffaloes are stepping up their efforts to land some highly prized recruits. Deion Sanders is back on the recruiting trail after overcoming his health issues, making Colorado an option once again for the high school players. Here are the top five early targets for Colorado’s 2026 class.
Colorado Football Recruiting: Deion Sanders’ Top 5 Early Targets for Class of 2026
1. CJ Sadler
There is no doubt that CJ Sadler is the No. 1 priority for Colorado right now. He is one of the top uncommitted players left, with the four-star prospect set to announce his commitment next Friday. The Buffaloes are among the four programs still in contention to land Sadler, with North Carolina, Michigan, and Maryland also vying for his services.
What makes Sadler such an appealing option for Colorado is his two-way prowess. He flourished as a wide receiver in high school and also impressed as a defensive back and returner. The Buffaloes have previous experience dealing with such a talented athlete, helping Travis Hunter become a Heisman Trophy winner in his final year at Colorado.
2026 4 ⭐️ATH CJ Sadler on his official visit to Colorado 🔥#skobuffs pic.twitter.com/k9ThlQqs7k
— NoSkoZone (@noskozone) June 24, 2025
Colorado has shown interest in Sadler for a couple of years now, with the high school star receiving an offer from the Buffaloes in Sept. 2023. He went to Colorado for his final official visit of the summer on June 20. Sadler caught 51 passes for 1,043 yards and 14 touchdowns last season for Cass Technical High School. He also had stellar numbers on the defensive end, recording 55 tackles, four interceptions, and one sack.
2. Amari Thomas
Amari Thomas might be committing to another school soon, but Deion Sanders and Colorado aren’t losing hope in signing the four-star running back from Florida. Sanders extended an offer to Thomas on July 22 and will be pushing hard to acquire his services before the early signing period begins in December.
Thomas showed what he is capable of during his junior season of high school, running for 1,880 yards and 34 scores in just 10 games. Coach Prime would love to have him on his team ahead of the 2026 season.
3. Edward Baker
The Colorado Buffaloes extended an offer to Edward Baker last month despite the three-star offensive tackle committing to Tennessee on June 27. Deion Sanders and his staff believe they could still sway Baker, who has also received offers from Arkansas, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Virginia, Penn State, and Ole Miss.
All Glory To God 🙏🏾Extremely Grateful To Receive a Offer From The University of Colorado 🦬 @CoachMessay @ryanburbrink@CoachJdubSFA @lbcoachchris @coachbox6 @Coach_Gunnar @DeionSanders pic.twitter.com/022r3N3iub
— ᴇᴅᴡᴀʀᴅ”ʙɪɢ ꜱᴋɪʟʟꜱ”ʙᴀᴋᴇʀ’2026’ (@3edwardbaker) July 22, 2025
4. Djidjou Bah
Colorado also extended an offer last month to defensive lineman Djidjou Bah, who committed to Wisconsin on June 1. The Buffaloes became the 25th college football program to offer the three-star prospect, who showed his commitment to the Badgers isn’t set in stone following his visit to Missouri on June 20.
Domata Peko, who is the Buffs’ defensive line coach, serves as Bah’s primary contact at Colorado. Having an opportunity to play under Peko could help Bah change his mind ahead of the early signing period in December.
5. Christian Ward
The Buffaloes extended an offer to wide receiver Christian Ward, who recently transferred to IMG Academy from Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia. 247Sports ranks the three-star prospect as the No. 127 wide receiver in the class of 2026 and the No. 91 player from the state of Florida.
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