Tag: CU Buffs 2025 recruiting

Colorado enters race for four-star DL Jarquez Carter

Colorado has entered the race for Jarquez Carter

On Thursday, class of 2025 four-star defensive lineman Jarquez Carter announced on X that he received an offer from Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders.

Carter is a 6-foot-2, 284-pound prospect from Newberry High School in Florida who’s also receiving considerable attention from Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, UCF, Ohio State and others. The 247Sports Composite ranks Carter as his class’s No. 32 defensive lineman.

According to his MaxPreps profile, Carter finished his junior season at Newberry with 67 total tackles, nine sacks and a whopping 37 TFLs, including six in one game. As a freshman, he produced 83 total tackles and 21 TFLs.

Although Colorado no longer has any class of 2025 commits, the Buffs’ defensive line should be much improved next season. Incoming freshmen Brandon Davis-Swain and Eric Brantley, Arizona State transfer B.J. Green II and former Pitt Panther Samuel Okunlola are a few of the bigger names joining Coach Prime’s D-line.

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Colorado women’s basketball hosts four-star guard Avery Hjelmstad on recruiting visit

JR Payne and Co. hosted four-star guard Avery Hjelmstad on a recruiting visit this past weekend

Despite a disappointing Sunday for the Colorado women’s basketball team, head coach JR Payne salvaged the weekend on the recruiting front by welcoming class of 2025 four-star guard Avery Hjelmstad on an official visit.

The junior out of Edmond, Oklahoma placed Colorado in her top eight schools on Sept. 5, about one week after visiting Boulder. Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Utah, Iowa State, Duke, Arkansas and Kansas joined the Buffs in her final eight. However, Hjelmstad has only visited Oklahoma State, Utah and CU since announcing her top eight, according to her X account.

ESPN’s 2025 HoopGurlz Super 60 rankings listed the 6-foot Hjelmstad as the No. 38 recruit in her class.

With a college decision yet to be made, Hjelmstad looks to finish her junior campaign strong as the leading scorer of the 18-3 Edmond Memorial High School girls basketball team. According to MaxPreps, she’s currently averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.8 blocks while shooting 49% from the field and 47% from deep.

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Georgia linebacker Mantrez Walker places Colorado among top five schools

Colorado remains in pursuit of Georgia linebacker Mantrez Walker

At 11 a.m. MT on Sunday morning, class of 2025 linebacker Mantrez Walker took to X to announce his top five schools, which included Colorado.

The three-star LB was committed to Michigan but revoked his decision in September. Now, LSU, Ole Miss, Penn State and Miami have joined the Buffs in Walker’s top five.

Walker, a 6-foot, 215-pound prospect from Buford, Georgia, is the 247Sports Composite’s No. 48 LB in the 2025 recruiting class.

In an interview with On3’s Chad Simmons, Walker shared that CU linebackers coach Andre’ Hart has made him a high priority:

“Colorado is probably the school that reaches out to me the most ever since they started recruiting me,” Walker said. “It’s been every day, every morning… (Linebackers) coach (Andre’) Hart, he’s made it clear to me that I’m his No. 1 prospect and I’m No. 1 on his board. He said that I can come in and play early on day one. I would have to compete, but for him saying that he could plug me in right now as an 18-year-old coming out of my senior year, I like that a lot.”

With an official visit to Boulder set for late April, the phone calls and text messages likely won’t go away until Walker has made his college decision.

Walker previously visited Colorado in September for the Buffs’ Week 5 game against USC.

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Four-star IMG Academy defensive back Alex Graham announces Colorado offer

Colorado entered the race for four-star IMG Academy DB Alex Graham

Just one week after offering Gregory Xavier Thomas, Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders sent in his bid for another class of 2025 defensive back out of Florida, IMG Academy’s Alex Graham.

Graham, a four-star prospect, announced his offer Wednesday afternoon. Ranked as the No. 14 CB in his class (247Sports Composite), Graham was teammates with five-star offensive tackle and incoming Colorado freshman Jordan Seaton at IMG Academy.

The Detroit native is currently projected to commit to Michigan, although he’s reported other offers from Miami, Michigan State and Georgia over the past month.

Here’s some of what 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote on Graham:

Has experience working in both press-man and off coverage. Rather fluid with his backpedal and does a nice job of mirroring with his hips while trying to steer wide receivers towards the sidelines. Not one that usually shies away from contact and tends to embrace his role in run support… Could carve out a role at a number of spots in the secondary. Must stay healthy having dealt with numerous injuries over the years, but has multi-year Power Five starter upside and tools to emerge as a difference-maker on the backend.

Graham’s announcement came about one hour after Colorado landed 2024 linebacker Kyeran Garcia, another Sunshine State prospect.

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Tampa cornerback Rukeem Stroud sets spring visit to Colorado

Four-star cornerback Rukeem Stroud, who had six interceptions this past season, will soon visit Colorado

This spring, the Colorado Buffaloes are set to host class of 2025 cornerback Rukeem Stroud on a recruiting visit, according to Matt Moreno of Rivals.

Stroud is a four-star prospect (Rivals) from Tampa, Florida who announced an offer from CU on Jan. 19. Listed at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, he has also been offered by Louisville, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Texas A&M and several other Power Five programs in recent weeks.

During his junior season at Tampa Bay Tech, Stroud was credited with six interceptions, including one in four straight games, and 17 passes defended.

247Sports currently ranks him as the No. 28 CB in the 2025 recruiting class. However, Stroud’s ball skills are elite and as he continues to gain size, the speedy cornerback should fly up national rankings heading into his senior year.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and his staff have been hitting Florida hard on the recruiting trail this offseason. Other notable 2025 Florida prospects who’ve received an offer include EDGE Cameron White, CB Major Preston Jr., CB Gregory Xavier Thomas and others.

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Colorado offers four-star Notre Dame QB commit Deuce Knight

Four-star QB Deuce Knight, a Notre Dame commit, announced an offer from Colorado

On Friday, four-star quarterback and Notre Dame commit Deuce Knight announced an offer from Colorado.

Knight is a class of 2025 prospect who committed to the Fighting Irish in September. Listed at just under 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds, he has good size and is considered a dual-threat quarterback.

The 247Sports Composite ranks the left-handed Knight as the No. 5 QB in his class.

After transferring from Lipscomb Academy (Tennessee) to George County High School in Lucedale, Mississippi early in his junior season, Knight threw for 1,420 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions in seven games played, according to MaxPreps. He also rushed for 340 yards and eight touchdowns.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Knight as having “raw traits that separate him from a lot of his peers.”

Last offseason, Colorado managed to flip four-star running back Dylan Edwards away from Notre Dame, so this isn’t new territory for CU head coach Deion Sanders.

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Four-star Florida cornerback Gregory Xavier Thomas announces Colorado offer

Colorado offered a four-star cornerback from Florida

Since his hiring, Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders has heavily recruited the state of Florida. Notable Sunshine State prospects who’ve signed with the Buffs include Cormani McClain, Asaad Waseem, Isaiah Hardge and five-star incoming freshman Jordan Seaton.

Now, Sanders and CU cornerbacks coach Kevin Mathis are going after class of 2025 Florida CB Gregory Xavier Thomas, a four-star recruit who announced an offer from the Buffs on Wednesday. Thomas is ranked as the No. 25 CB in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Other offers that Thomas has reported in recent days include Michigan State, Louisville, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Georgia Tech.

Here’s what 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote on Thomas:

A physically imposing defensive back prospect with a monster ceiling given how he moves for someone his size. Measured just over 6-foot-1, 190 pounds as a freshman and looks to be even bigger now. Earned a starting role as a junior at the Power Five factory that is American Heritage and found instant success, getting snaps at both cornerback and safety.

Two other American Heritage prospects also announced offers from Colorado on Wednesday: 2026 wide receiver Jamar Denson and 2026 quarterback Dia Bell.

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Four-star offensive tackle Lamont Rogers earns offer from CU Buffs

Four-star offensive tackle Lamont Rogers picked up an offer from Colorado

Colorado’s success over the next two years will largely be dependent on how well its offensive line performs. The Buffs are set up well with five-star tackle Jordan Seaton now in Boulder, but more reinforcements are needed.

On Friday, we learned that new CU offensive line coach Phil Loadholt extended an offer to Lamont Rogers, a class of 2025 four-star tackle from Mesquite, Texas. According to the 247Sports Composite, the 6-foot-6, 305-pound Rogers is the seventh-ranked offensive tackle in his class.

While things have possibly changed for Rogers, he announced a top-12 of Michigan, Flordia, USC, Texas, LSU, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Oklahoma, TCU, Mississippi State, Florida State and Texas A&M back in September.

247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks wrote the following on Rogers:

Plays to his size in the running game. Shows above average get-off juice. Good drive blocker once locked on. Occasionally flashes some encouraging punch.

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Colorado joins the hunt for four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley

After helping his high school team to a state championship this past season, four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley picked up an offer from Colorado

As we documented last week, Colorado has been rapidly sending out offers to 2025 prospects this month.

On Tuesday, four-star wide receiver CJ Wiley became the latest to announce an offer from the Buffs. A current junior at Milton High School in Georgia, Wiley is ranked as the No. 36 WR in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Wiley, the son of former NFL defensive end Chuck Wiley, has also recently announced offers from Alabama, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

His rising stock makes sense when you examine the jaw-dropping numbers Wiley put up this past fall. In 15 games played, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound receiver caught 68 passes for 1,473 yards and 14 touchdowns, helping Milton secure the Georgia 7A state title.

Following a string of decommitments late last year, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and his staff are without any class of 2025 pledges.

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Colorado extending offers to top-ranked 2025 recruits at a rapid pace

These top-ranked 2025 prospects have all announced an offer from Colorado in recent days

Now that the class of 2024’s early signing period is complete, Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders and his staff have been putting their energy toward recruiting 2025 prospects. Several current high school juniors have been offered by the Buffs recently, including a few four/five-star prospects.

After watching wide receiver Winston Watkins Jr., running back Jamarice Wilder and quarterback Antwann Hill all decommit in November, Colorado is currently without any 2025 pledges. However, based on the plethora of offers CU has extended this month. I’d expect Coach Prime to land a commitment soon.

Here are some of the 2025 prospects who’ve announced an offer from Colorado in recent days: