Deion Sanders, Colorado lose DL recruit to Big Ten program

CU football head coach Deion Sanders, or Coach Prime, lost a three-star DL recruit. Cris Tiller/For the Coloradoan / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Deion Sanders, Colorado lose DL recruit to Big Ten program

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated May 27, 2026 10:54 PM ET

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Joseph Peko had been viewed as a strong commitment for the Colorado Buffaloes.

It made sense, too. Peko's father, Domata Peko, is a former NFL defensive lineman who spent the 2025 season on Deion Sanders' staff as Colorado's defensive line coach. Joseph's older brother, Domata Peko Jr., joined the Buffaloes as a JUCO commitment and is on the roster heading into 2026.

The issue for Sanders and Colorado is that the eldest Peko left Colorado's coaching staff for the same position with the Pittsburgh Steelers in February.

A class of 2026 recruit, Joseph, then neglected to sign his letter of intent with the Buffaloes. That's when this really fell apart for Colorado, but it became official on Wednesday.

Peko, a 2026 three-star defensive lineman from Westlake Village, California, officially committed to the Washington Huskies.

Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian DL Joseph Peko has flipped his commitment from Colorado to Washington and went in-depth on why he chose the Huskies

"When I visited Washington back in April, I knew that was home."

Intel: https://t.co/h1tmubzqGv pic.twitter.com/URjXvUqi2H
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) May 27, 2026

Washington Huskies land big DL recruit Joseph Peko

Peko is a big guy, checking in at 6-foot-3, 310 pounds. That's not a surprise, though. His father, Domata Sr., played 15 years in the NFL at 6-foot-3, 325 pounds.

In his senior season, the younger Peko totaled 38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and five sacks for Oaks Christian High School.

He'll now play for Jedd Fisch and the Huskies in 2026 as a freshman, joining a Washington 2026 recruiting class that was ranked No. 19 in the country.

Of all the players in that 2026 class, 20 have already enrolled at Washington. The rest will join in the fall, and Peko is expected to be a part of that group.

247Sports ranks Peko as the No. 107 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and the No. 66 recruit from the talent-laden state of California.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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