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Deion Sanders Hands SEC Powerhouse a Loss on Recruiting Trail

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 5:21 PM ET

Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes secured a big-time commitment for their 2026 recruiting class on Tuesday.

Four-star defensive back Preston Ashley announced his commitment to the Buffaloes. He committed to the Buffaloes over the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles, and is excited to get going.

“If u wanna be da best, you gotta get coach by the best. We coming!” Ashley told On3's Hayes Fawcett.

Ashley is the ninth-best recruit in his home state (Mississippi) and the No. 214 overall recruit in the country, per 247Sports composite rankings. This is only the Buffaloes' third recruit in the 2026 class, and they still have plenty of time to add more.

This is a big win for the Buffaloes going into year three for Sanders at the helm. He's coming off a nine-win season in 2024 after only winning four games in 2023.

He helped develop Travis Hunter into a dual threat at wide receiver and cornerback before the Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to select him with the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He also helped his son Shedeur develop into an NFL Draft pick.

Despite the loss for the Gators, they still have the No. 15 recruiting class for 2026, per 247Sports. They are still in good shape to improve that ranking going into the rest of the summer.

The Gators won eight games last season and will try to push for double-digit wins in 2025. They will open the season against the Long Island Sharks on August 30.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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