Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up prior to the game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Colorado Buffaloes Recruiting: Deion Sanders Lands Commitment From Multi-Talented Georgia Athlete

Originally posted on Colorado Buffaloes on SI
By Jack Carlough | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 12:43 PM ET

A potential two-way, two-sport athlete is joining the Colorado Buffaloes.

On Saturday evening, class of 2025 athlete Kyle Carpenter announced his commitment to coach Deion Sanders' program with just over two months until the regular season kicks off. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound recruit played cornerback and wide receiver at Buford High School in Georgia and was also a standout basketball player, scoring 17 points in a state playoff game last season.

Carpenter will likely first have to establish himself on the gridiron, but one day walking on to coach Tad Boyle's Colorado men's basketball program could be an intriguing possibility. Not too long ago, quarterback Drew Carter briefly played both sports at CU before transferring to UC Davis and later Oregon.

"If the coaches allow me to play both sports, I would love to," Carpenter told Athlon Sports.

At Buford, Carpenter was teammates with four-star linebacker and recent class of 2025 Colorado signee Mantrez Walker, who totaled 60 tackles and three TFLs last season. Carpenter closed the year with nine catches for 142 yards and one touchdown for the 12-2 Wolves. Buford reached the GHSA 6A state semifinals before falling to Carrollton High School, led by CU freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis.

Carpenter becomes the third Buford product on Colorado's roster, joining Walker and placekicker Alejandro Mata. The Buffs' facilities, coaching staff and culture also played a big factor in his commitment.

"The facility was like no other," Carpenter told Athlon. "The coaching staff with 'Coach Prime' is the greatest to ever do it. Everybody in Boulder just feels like family as soon as I came in."

#skobuffs IM COMING. pic.twitter.com/5jBOgGg1JN
— Kyle Carpenter (@K2raw_29) June 15, 2025

Carpenter announced his commitment to Los Angeles Valley College in February but has now shifted gears to join the Buffs. While his commitment post didn't clarify, Carpenter is likely coming to Colorado as a preferred walk-on. It's also unclear whether he'll play both cornerback and wide receiver at the college level.

Highlighted by Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, "Coach Prime" allowed a few Buffs to play both ways last season, including cornerback/wide receiver Isaiah Hardge and lineman Tyler Brown. Hardge is now focusing solely on the offensive side of the ball, however.

“A lot of coaches lie, and they tell them (recruits), 'I’m gonna give you the opportunity to play on both sides of the ball,' and we never see it,” Sanders said following Colorado's win over Utah last season. “First of all, I don’t lie. Second of all, I did it, so I know it’s doable. I know it can be allowed if a young man has that type of talent. Now, some of these guys, you were like that in high school, but you ain’t like that in college. You really need to focus on one thing, but we’re fortunate to have three guys."

This article first appeared on Colorado Buffaloes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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