Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes To Host Four-Star Cornerback Recruit Dorian Barney

Rivals, 247Sports and On3 list Barney among the nation's top-20 prospects at both the cornerback position and out of Georgia. He was an interception machine and a MaxPreps All-American during his junior year alongside new Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis for the Carrollton Trojans in 2024. Barney also made stops at Eagle's Landing Christian Academy and Peachtree Ridge High School.

Barney is a two-sport athlete who played basketball at Eagle's Landing in 2022.

Recency bias suggests that Barney's visit may get buried during his ventures to other top-contending schools. He's set to see Penn State the weekend of May 16 and three others throughout May and June, though he has not scheduled a visit to coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels yet. Texas A&M and Penn State have conducted at-home visits with Barney this month.

The Yellow Jackets are an in-state wild card for Barney's services. After Carrollton linebacker CJ Gamble committed to Georgia Tech, Barney offered his congratulations and teased teaming up with the three-star.

In Boulder, Barney would join a cornerback room budding with talent but starting to thin out following the departure of Bednarik Award-winning two-way star Travis Hunter. Colton Hood entered the transfer portal last month, while Preston Hodge will play his final year of college ball in 2025.

The Buffs have been active in the secondary this portal cycle, adding six transfers since the end of last season (four in April alone). Former Illinois State Redbirds cornerback Teon Parks joined the fray after a strong 2024 campaign in the Missouri Valley Conference, and versatile Kansas State Wildcats freshman Noah King committed after a strong high school career at both safety and corner.

DJ McKinney will captain Colorado's backline next season as a junior, looking to capitalize on a solid 2024. It will be a crucial year for defensive coordinator Robert Livingston to develop some of the Buffaloes' less proven names, as Hood's departure may force a newcomer to take the spot opposite McKinney.

Barney would fit right into a secondary in need of plug-and-play talent. Listed at 6-1, 175, the ball hawk made the Polynesian Bowl roster and garnered offers from nearly every major program in the country.

Barney's play recognition, ball skills and run defense all pop off the page to help him become one of the premier corner prospects in the country. The Buffs will likely tap into his connection with Lewis, Coach Sanders's cornerback history and the program's bright future.