Colorado Buffaloes' Deion Sanders To Land 4-Star Recruit Over Bill Belichick, North Carolina?

Sadler’s Interest In Colorado

The four-star recruit is predicted by Rivals to pick the North Carolina Tar Heels and coach Bill Belichick, but the Buffaloes are making a strong push and could land the talented athlete. Sadler has visited the Buffaloes multiple times and stands out as an option for him.

“Coach Prime, the way he’s running the university,” Sadler told On3. "The coaching staff is building a standard here.”

Sanders took over the Colorado program ahead of the 2023 season and helped the team go from one win to nine in two years. Sanders brought in an elite coaching staff, featuring former NFL players such as Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk, which has helped the team with recruiting. 

With the players Sanders is bringing in and his focus on development, the Colorado program is trending up. 

In addition to Colorado and North Carolina, Sadler is also interested in the Michigan Wolverines and the Maryland Terrapins.

Travis Hunter’s Impact On Sadler’s Recruitment

As a four-star athlete, Sadler is looking to play both offense and defense in the league. This has helped keep the Colorado Buffaloes in the running, as the alma mater of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter.

“Obviously, to be able to play both sides of the ball and be myself. The people make it really special, the head coach and things like that,” Sadler continued.

Hunter has credited Sanders for giving him the opportunity to play both offense and defense, which led to him being the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. If Sadler wants to continue to play both sides of the ball, the Colorado Buffaloes would be a good landing spot for the four-star athlete.

Colorado Class of 2026

The Buffaloes' recruiting class is up to nine commits, but they rank No. 69 in the nation and last in the Big 12, per On3.

Colorado has received commitments from three four-star and six three-star recruits. Four-star cornerback commit Preston Ashley is one of the team's biggest and most talented recruits coming in. He announced his decision to attend Colorado in June and helped kick off a couple of big commitments in the summer.

The team has also received a commitment from four-star tight end Gavin Mueller and four-star linebacker Rodney Colton. Although Colorado has only had nine verbal commits, the Buffaloes give true freshmen a chance to compete and play right away.

Sanders does not have the most conventional recruiting tactic, as he does not look to have the most commitments in the nation. Sanders and the Buffaloes look to bring in high-quality players to avoid redshirting them and risking the players entering the portal after one season. 

With Sadler’s commitment coming at the end of the month, the Buffaloes could be on the verge of having another dominant two-way player on the roster.