Tag: CU Buffs 2025 recruiting

Four-star forward Winters Grady includes Colorado among top nine schools

Colorado is in the mix for a class of 2025 four-star sharpshooter

Head coach Tad Boyle and the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball program are in the mix for class of 2025 forward Winters Grady, who included CU among his top nine schools on Friday.

Grady, a consensus four-star recruit prospect, is considering Colorado alongside the New Mexico Lobos, USC Trojans, Oregon Ducks, Creighton Bluejays, Iowa Hawkeyes, Arizona State Sun Devils, Michigan Wolverines and Oklahoma Sooners. He has official visits scheduled with every school besides ASU, Creighton and USC. On3’s Joe Tipton shared the list.

Grady will take an official visit to Boulder on Sept. 11, according to On3.

The 6-foot-6 California sharpshooter is ranked as the No. 81 prospect nationally, according to the 247Sports composite. Grady played at Prolific Prep of Napa Christian last season alongside AJ Dybantsa and Tyran Stokes, the top-rated players in the class of 2025 and 2026, respectively. They went 34-6.

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Colorado secures commitment from in-state tight end Zayne DeSouza

Loveland tight end Zayne DeSouza gave his commitment to the Buffs

Friday morning, Loveland High School tight end Zayne DeSouza became the first in-state prospect to announce their commitment to Colorado football’s 2025 recruiting class.

DeSouza is a 6-foot-6, 260-pound recruit who picked up an offer from the Buffs in June following an impressive performance at CU’s summer elite camp. The three-star prospect (per 247Sports) also owns offers from Washington State, Wyoming and Northern Colorado.

DeSouza becomes the Buffs’ seventh 2025 commit and the second tight end, joining three-star Tennessee native Corbin Laisure.

247Sports ranks DeSouza as the No. 71 TE in his class and the No. 3 prospect in the Centennial State. During his junior season at Loveland last fall, he finished with 330 receiving yards and one touchdown.

DeSouza took an unofficial visit with the Buffs earlier this week before announcing his commitment to head coach Deion Sanders’ program on Friday.

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Four-star USC commit Shamar Arnoux picks up offer from Coach Prime

Colorado is going after another prominent USC commit

Recent USC Trojans commit Shamar Arnoux announced an offer from head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes late Thursday evening.

A four-star cornerback in the 2025 recruiting class (247Sports composite), Arnoux visited Southern Cal in mid-June before giving his pledge to head coach Lincoln Riley later that same month. The 6-foot-2, 175-pound prospect became the Trojans’ second true cornerback commit, joining fellow four-star Trestin Castro.

The 247Sports composite ranks Arnaux as the No. 32 CB in his class and the No. 397 overall prospect. Prior to landing at USC, the Peach State product was committed to the Tennessee Volunteers for about 10 months before removing his pledge in February.

After spending his junior season at Milton High School in Georgia, Arnaux recently transferred to Carrollton, the same high school that houses five-star USC quarterback commit and fellow Colorado target Julian “JuJu” Lewis. The Buffs offered four-star Carrollton offensive lineman Zykie Helton as well in June.

Coach Prime owns six class of 2025 commits, including four-star cornerback Alex Graham.

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Four-star wide receiver Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. commits to Colorado

A big-name class of 2025 wide receiver is coming to Boulder

Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes picked up a commitment from four-star wide receiver Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. on Saturday, as announced by On3 recruiting expert Hayes Fawcett.

The No. 44 wideout in the class of 2025 (247Sports composite) visited Boulder in late June along with class of 2025 quarterback Julian Lewis and others. Farrakhan was projected to commit to CU in early July by On3, which he did on Saturday.

247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks evaluated Farrakhan on Thursday, writing:

Advanced route runner with strong production against Texas 6A competition in Houston metro. Owns experience in all three phases with some part-time corner reps and impressive return-game context… Displays impressive route snap and late-separating ability. Consistent hands catcher who’s spatially aware of defenders and the boundary and flashes body control acumen in the air. Flashes some speed-changing nuance that enhances route-running ability and run-after-catch effectiveness, which also derives in part from sneaky wiry strength and contact balance.

Farrakhan picked Colorado over the Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

The 6-foot-1 receiver will finish his high school career at North Shore High School, a Texas powerhouse that went 15-1 last season. He is aiming for his fourth Texas District 13-6A first-team selection in four years.

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Colorado target safety Ladarian Clardy reveals top 10 schools

Four-star safety Ladarian Clardy named Colorado to his list of top schools

Less than one month after offering him a scholarship, the Colorado Buffaloes have made class of 2025 four-star safety Ladarian Clardy’s top 10 teams.

As announced via X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, Colorado was included along with the Michigan Wolverines, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Washington Huskies, UCF Knights, Ole Miss Rebels, Florida State Seminoles and Florida Gators.

According to the 247Sports composite, Clardy is a four-star prospect and the No. 34 player in Florida for the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he throws his weight around with authority. His highlight tape is full of plays where he’s flying downfield and playing the run efficiently. He mostly plays zone in the passing game and when called upon, Clardy does an excellent job of finding the ball in the air and making a play.

Clardy currently holds two crystal ball predictions from 247Sports analysts, one in favor of Ole Miss and another for Florida State.

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Colorado decommit Winston Watkins Jr. still considering return to Buffs

Winston Watkins Jr. isn’t ruling out a return to Colorado

Shortly after being named head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, Deion Sanders landed a commitment from class of 2025 wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr. The blue-chip prospect decommitted in November, but Colorado remains in the hunt as Watkins included the Buffs in his top 16 on Thursday.

A 247Sports composite four-star recruit out of Venice, Florida, Watkins is listed at 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds. An explosive offensive weapon, Watkins works mainly out of the slot and shows advanced abilities as a route runner. Watkins is tough to contain, as his shiftiness allows him to avoid would-be tacklers. He also has the foot speed to run away from defenders when he hits the open field.

Other notable teams in Watkins’ top 16 include the Alabama Crimson Tide, Michigan Wolverines, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Texas Longhorns and Penn State Nittany Lions.

While it looks like an uphill battle, seeing Colorado still on Watkins’ radar is encouraging.

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Colorado among five finalists for Louisiana safety Jhase Thomas

Jhase Thomas will announce his commitment on July 13

The Colorado Buffaloes have been after class of 2025 safety Jhase Thomas for over a year, first offering the Louisiana product in May 2023. That perseverance has paid off, as Sam Spiegelman of Rivals reported Wednesday that Colorado is among five finalists for the NFL legacy.

Colorado is joined in Thomas’ final five by the Texas Tech Red Raiders, Houston Cougars, Old Miss Rebels and LSU Tigers. One of those schools will add to its 2025 class soon, as Thomas will announce his college commitment on July 13.

According to both Rivals and 247Sports, Thomas is a three-star prospect. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 183 pounds, Thomas shows good coverage skills and a nose for the football. He has also played on the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver and has returned punts.

Thomas’ father, Fred, played 12 seasons in the NFL as a cornerback.

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Colorado receives expert prediction to land four-star WR Quanell X Farrakhan Jr.

Colorado is favored to land a four-star wide receiver from Texas

Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are currently the favorites to land four-star wide receiver Quanell X Farrakhan Jr.’s commitment, according to On3 recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong.

On Wednesday, Wiltfong logged an expert prediction for Farrakhan to make Buffs fans happy when he announces his pledge on July 13. Farrakhan, a consensus four-star prospect from Texas, would become Colorado’s sixth class of 2025 commit.

The 5-foot-11.5, 175-pound wide receiver (per On3) was one of several premiere recruits who visited Boulder during the second-to-last weekend of June.

“I loved it in Colorado,” Farrakhan told Wiltfong following his official visit. “They made me feel like I was at home and I believe that they could get me to the next level.”

According to On3, Farrakhan is the No. 40 wide receiver and the No. 276 overall prospect in his class.

Farrakhan named the Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M Aggies and Nebraska Cornhuskers to his top three in late March, but Colorado’s subsequent arrival has changed things. The Buffs extended an offer on May 4.

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Three-star wide receiver James Johnson includes Colorado among top schools

Colorado fans should keep an eye on James Johnson’s recruitment moving forward

Last month, the Colorado Buffaloes football program offered class of 2025 three-star (Rivals) wide receiver James Johnson. On Friday, the Douglasville, Georgia prospect announced his top 20 schools on X (formally Twitter) and CU made the cut.

At 6-foot-even and 175 pounds, Johnson’s top 20 includes all Power Four teams, including the USC Trojans, Florida State Seminoles, Georiga Bulldogs, Missouri Tigers and Texas Longhorns.

Johnson received a four-star grade from ESPN and a three-star rating from Rivals. He is currently not ranked by 247Sports.

Watching his high school highlights, I see Johnson as an incredible athlete capable of making plays all over the field. He has taken snaps out of the wildcat, as a wide receiver and at cornerback. Positional versatility is always a plus in recruiting and Johnson certainly has that covered.

The race for Johnson’s commitment will be one to watch for Buffs fans.

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Colorado target three-star OT Jay Gardenhire sets commitment date

Colorado target Jay Gardenhire revealed the day he’ll announce his commitment

Amid a massive recruiting weekend in Boulder, the Colorado Buffaloes learned they could soon receive a big commitment to their future offensive line.

After announcing an offer from the Buffs on Monday, class of 2025 offensive tackle Jay Gardenhire revealed Friday that he plans on announcing his college commitment on Wednesday, June 26 at 3 p.m. MT.

The Buffs should be in good shape, as Gardenhire met with offensive line coach Phil Loadholt earlier this month on an unofficial visit before receiving an offer. Other Power Four programs to offer the Michigan prospect include Pittsburgh and Boston College.

Gardenhire, a three-star prospect according to 247Sports, is a giant human, standing at 6-foot-8 and 350 pounds. Since the arrival of Loadholt, it’s clear that Colorado is recruiting bigger OL prospects, and Gardenhire would undoubtedly fit that trend.

Gardenhire plans on announcing his commitment on X and Instagram.

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