Deion Sanders and Colorado Pick Up Recruiting Win Over Florida Powerhouses

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes received a major commitment for the 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday.

Four-star cornerback Preston Ashley announced he would be Boulder bound. Colorado beat out Florida and Florida State for his commitment.

This comes after Ashley recently took an official visit to CU. He's noted as the ninth-best player in Mississippi and an ESPN Top 300 recruit. This marks a huge step for Coach Prime and the Buffs in next year's class. Ashley is the top player in a three-player group with some room for improvement. However, this also comes with Sanders not being on campus due to a health issue.

"Just the place of Boulder, and how great (Buffaloes cornerbacks) coach (Kevin) Mathis and (defensive coordinator and safeties) coach (Robert) Livingston are, and how they can put me in the place I want to be," Ashley told 247Sports' Adam Munsterteiger.

Colorado looks to improve after a nine-win season in 2024. But they'll be without their best playmakers on both sides of the ball and will deal with NFL Draft turnover in 2025.

Ashley becomes the Buffaloes' third pledge in the 2026 class, joining Illinois tight end Gavin Mueller and Ventura College edge Domata Peko Jr.