Ever since Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, Colorado, the Colorado Buffaloes have begun competing for a different caliber of high school recruit, and as a result, the talent we’ve seen come through the CU-Boulder campus is unlike anything else we’ve experienced since the early 90s.

With so many 5-Star and 4-Star talents walking through those doors, it begs the question, could this be the biggest recruiting weekend in Colorado Buffaloes’ history?

Let’s take a look at the recruits they brought in on offense, as we begin to attempt to answer that question.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback visits

Players Visiting: Ju’Juan Johnson (2024, Louisiana, 4-Star, 0.917 composite score, No. 28 ATH); Maealiuaki Smith (2024, California, 3-Star, 0.876 composite score, No. 34 QB); Daniel Kaelin (2024, Nebraska, 3-Star, 0.869 composite score, No. 42 QB). 10 total stars, 0.887 average composite score.

Quarterback isn’t a pressing need for the Colorado Buffaloes, but it could quickly become one of the roster’s more glaring needs if Shedeur Sanders decides to declare for the 2024 NFL Draft after one season in Boulder — a realistic possibility considering he’s currently on a mid-round trajectory.

Now, the Buffaloes have a bevy of potential future solutions, with Drew Carter (3-Star, 0.858 composite score) and Colton Allen (unrated) already on roster, and Ryan Staub (3-Star, 0.874 composite score) and Kasen Weisman (3-Star, 0.848) signed as part of the 2023 freshman class, however all of those options represent a considerable downgrade from Sanders, at least in terms of pedigree.

Carter, the most experienced of the options, has attempted just 16 passes over his first two seasons on a QB-needy, fledgling Buffaloes roster, and managed to complete a mere six of them, totaling 38 yards. Perhaps even more concerning is the fact that he somehow managed to average less than one air-yard per attempt (measuring how far the ball travels downfield) in 2022. The offensive line was likely a factor there, but that’s not Power-5-caliber quarterbacking.

He’s also gained just 13 yards on the ground, over 10 attempts, during that span, so he’s not much of a factor there.

Meanwhile, Colton Allen is the level of recruit that could easily get squeezed out by Coach Prime’s ‘Louis luggage’, and Staub and Weisman aren’t at the level that prevents you from looking elsewhere.

Enter Ju’Juan Johnson, Maealiuaki Smith and Daniel Kaelin, three visitors of the Boulder campus this weekend, who would instantly upgrade the talent in the Buffaloes’ quarterback room.

Johnson would be the second-highest-rated quarterback freshman recruit in Colorado’s history, and the third-highest-rated quarterback recruit, overall. Transfer Shedeur Sanders edges him out for the all-time crown. His presence would immediately give the Buffs a post-2023 solution.

Johnson announced on Monday that the Colorado Buffaloes are among his top-three schools, and that he’ll be committing to a school on Saturday, February 4th. There’s reason to think CU could be the frontrunner, as Johnson’s pinned tweet has been the Buffaloes’ scholarship offer for multiple months now, and there’s no clear significance to that offer in particular.

Several blue blood programs, including LSU, offered Johnson before the Buffs did, and the University of Florida, one of Johnson’s finalists, offered him after the Buffs did. So it seems odd that the Buffaloes would be the pinned tweet.

Smith is also a top prospect, even if not quite to the level of Johnson. He already has 15 offers, including offers from Florida State, Miami (FL), Michigan State., and BYU, as well as from Pac-12 rivals Arizona, California, Utah, and Washington, so there should be a healthy amount of competition for the rising 3-Star, who is rated as a four-star by ESPN. If he were to sign with the Buffaloes, he would instantly be their second-highest-rated quarterback, from a recruiting standpoint, and would be the fifth-highest-rated quarterback recruit in program history.

Meanwhile, Kaelin — who has a lower recruiting rating than Smith overall, but is favored by some services, including 247 — has 13 offers, featuring schools like Florida State, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Kansas State, Minnesota, and Nebraska, plus Pac-12 rival Arizona State. Although Kaelin has slightly fewer offers than Smith, he has more Power-5 interest (13 offers to Smith’s 12), and will also be an impressive get for Prime.

Colorado Buffaloes running back visits

Players Visiting: Jordon Davison (2025, California, 5-Star, 0.992 composite score, No. 1 RB); Nate Frazier (2024, California, 4-Star, 0.924 composite score, No. 26 ATH); Boo Carter (2024, Tennessee, 4-Star, 0.908 composite score, No. 33 ATH); Stacy Bey (2024, California, 3-Star, 0.873 composite score, No. 63 ATH) 16 total stars, 0.924 average composite score.

The Colorado Buffaloes currently have a solid stable of backs, even if it’s not loaded with elite talent, yet, despite it being a relative position of strength, Coach Prime is set to upgrade it in a major way.

Three of the Buffs’ top-four backs from a season ago are set to return under the new coaching staff, and the room is also adding Dylan Edwards, a top-rated Kansas running back that Prime stole from Notre Dame, who is slated to be Colorado’s fourth-highest-rated running back recruit in program history.

Outside of Edwards, Prime has yet to nab a commitment from another running back, though it makes sense that most of his roster-rebuilding focus has been spent elsewhere.

Plus, it could continue to be a position of relative strength for the next half-decade, if Prime can land commitments from either Jordon Davison, 2025’s No. 3 running back, who was on campus this past weekend, or Boo Carter, 2024’s No. 33 athlete, who also visited this weekend, and plays both running back and defensive back. Stacy Bey, a 3-Star athlete, who plays running back and linebacker, also visited this weekend.

“[Davison] has a really nice combination of power, toughness and quickness and the top-end speed to outrun a secondary,” Greg Biggens, a national recruiting analyst for 247, wrote. “His game will take a big leap as he learns to run with higher knee action, which will make him significantly faster and he’s already plenty fast as it is.”

Davison’s high school head coach, Mater Dei’s Bruce Rollinson, who has coached plenty of D-1 talents, also applauded the top-rated back, via 247’s Adam Munsterteiger.

“He’s one of the smartest backs I’ve been around,” Rollinson told Munsterteiger. “Not only does he know his assignments, he knows what everyone else is supposed to be doing and he’s a real student of the game and a joy to coach.”

Although it seems likely Davison will stay home to attend USC, it’s easy to see why Coach Prime is hot on the trail.

Plus, Davison’s backfield mate, Nate Frazier — who was also in Boulder this weekend — would be an outstanding consolation prize for the Buffaloes.

Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver visits

Players Visiting: Ryan Wingo (2024, Missouri, 5-Star, 0.992 composite score, No. 3 WR); Phillip Bell (2025, California, 4-Star, 0.983 composite score, No. 9 WR); Jordan Ross (2024, California, 4-Star, 0.950 composite score, No. 11 ATH) Xavier Jordan (2024, California, 4-Star, 0.910 score, No. 11 WR**); LaMason Waller (2025, California, 4-Star, 0.900 score, No. 9 ATH); Jason Robinson (2024, California, 4-Star, 0.912 composite score, No. 33 WR, USC commit); Adam Hopkins (2023, Georgia, 4-Star, 0.911 composite score, No. 36 WR, CU commit); Omarion Miller (2023, Louisiana, 4-Star, 0.910 composite score, No. 38 WR, CU commit); Daijon Calimon (2024, California, 3-Star, 0.844 composite score, No. 86 WR, CU commit); Marcus Harris (2025, California, Unrated). 28 total stars, 0.925 average composite score.

Under the reign of Deion Sanders, the Unversity of Colorado may quickly earn the title of “DBU” or “WRU” thanks to the caliber of prospect they’re bringing in.

This legendary recruiting weekend only further perpetuated that narrative, as the Buffaloes hosted a top-11 athlete from 2024, two of 2024’s top-11 wide receiver recruits, and a top 2025 wide receiver in hopes of overhauling the team’s wide receiver talent — a hope they’ve already been fairly successful at realizing.

Two 4-Star recruits (who visited this weekend) and four 3-Star recruits are already committed as part of Colorado’s freshman class at wide receiver, and they also added top-ranked transfer Travis Hunter and 4-Star transfer Jimmy Horn Jr. to bring an instant impact.

Now, in recent years, the Buffaloes have been able to cultivate a lot of impressive players at the position, with that being epitomized under Mel Tucker (with pairings of K.D. Nixon and Laviska Shenault), yet Prime will reach new heights if he manages to reel in any of those coveted 2024 pass-catchers.

He might have reached those heights already anyway, thanks to building a culture that is extremely appealing to any wide receiver. Shedeur Sanders has proven to be one of college football’s best quarterbacks, and the Kent State offense that Coach Prime is looking to bring in should be very pass-happy, and therefore, wide receiver-friendly.

As long as Prime is in Boulder, electric talent on the perimeter — both on offense and defense — should be expected.

**Note: No composite available. 247 Sports rating/ranking used instead.

Buffaloes tight end visits

Players Visiting: Kylan Fox (2024, Georgia, 4-Star, 0.924, No. 25 ATH). Four total stars, 0.924 average composite score.

From now until September, one of the most fascinating positions to monitor up in Boulder will be tight end, where the exit of Brady Russell opens up a sizable void in the position room.

Now, Erik Olsen, Caleb Fauria, Austin Smith, and Zach Courtney all signed with the team since the pandemic, as well-regarded 3-Star tight ends, yet haven’t really had the opportunity to prove themselves, thanks to Russell gobbling up snaps.

They might have to keep waiting though, as incoming transfer Seydou Traore is the team’s highest-rated incoming player outside of Travis Hunter and Cormani McClain, and he’s earned that rating.

As a result, tight end is a position that Coach Prime can put on the back burner for now, as he focuses on overhauling the rest of the talent on the roster, and his recruiting class reflects that.

Outside of Traore, who’s entering his third year of college eligibility, the Buffaloes don’t have a tight end in their 2023 class, which could prove to be a problem down the line, even if it won’t be one in the immediate future.

However, Coach Prime has been connected to two top ‘athlete’ recruits that have a tight-end background, with one of those two, Kylan Fox, visiting this past weekend. Landing Fox would be a huge win for the program, as not only would it offer better stability at tight end moving forward, but it would also represent a victory over Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, Texas, and plenty of other of the top schools on the recruiting trail.

Buffaloes offensive line visits

Players Visiting: Brandon Baker (2024, California, 4-Star, 0.968 composite score, No. 4 OT); A.J. Burton (2024, Colorado, 3-Star, 0.844 composite score, No. 52 OT); Gage Ginther (2024, Colorado, 3-Star, 0.840 composite score, No. 38 IOL); Maki Stewart (2025, California, Unrated OT). 10 total stars, 0.884 composite score.

Everyone even casually following the Colorado Buffaloes has picked up on the incredible infusion of talent currently happening at the team’s skill positions, but, as fans of the local NFL team have learned in recent years, it won’t matter if you’re getting bullied up front.

And so far, Coach Prime has a long way to go there.

Last season, Colorado’s offensive line was an embarrassment, and one of the primary factors behind the team floundering to a 1-11 record.

Per Football Outsiders, they ranked 121st out of the 130 Division-1 programs in line-created yards per carry, and ranked 110th in terms of the rate at which they were creating positive rushing opportunities. They were a little better as pass protectors, and generated the 71st-lowest sack rate in college football, which made them a middling unit, though the talent deficiency was still clear as day on tape.

To remedy that deficiency, the Buffaloes are currently leaning hard on five transfers, and one recruit, none of whom are that highly touted. Now, don’t get it twisted, Colorado’s offensive line could use help of any kind, but the help they’re getting along the line is wildly different from what they’re getting at defensive back.

Landing the 2024 offensive line recruits that were on campus this past weekend, specifically top-rated tackle Brandon Baker, would obviously help improve the situation, but it won’t fix it either. We rarely see true freshmen thrive as plug-and-play starters along the offensive line, and these recruits wouldn’t even be available for that until 2024.

That said, Baker is highly coveted for a reason, with his tantalizing length and idyllic movement skills, and his choosing of Boulder would be tremendous. He’d be the second-best offensive line recruit in program history, and while that pedigree is well-deserved, offensive lines are defined more by their weakest link than their biggest star, and the Buffaloes still have to make up ground there.

That’s where the other visits along the offensive line come into play. They’re not the highly-touted types that have so far defined the Deion Sanders era in Boulder, but they’re talented local linemen that the Buffaloes should be able to keep home, in order to shore up the depth of the line.

To continue to re-vitalize this offensive line, Coach Prime is going to have to lure in more veteran transfers.