Deion Sanders has never been one to sit back and wait. With just two commitments on the board and Colorado’s 2026 recruiting class sitting dead last in the Big 12, Coach Prime is pressing the gas—and fast. In true Sanders fashion, he’s going after big names, and this week, he might’ve made his biggest move yet. A surprise visit from a five-star receiver lit up Boulder, and if the timing’s any hint, Prime could be cooking up another headline steal. Just for his boy JuJu!
Cederian Morgan, a 6’4″, 210-pound wideout from Alabama’s Benjamin Russell High, is widely considered one of the most athletic and polished receivers in the 2026 class. The Buffs weren’t even on his radar a month ago—but that changed when he pulled up to Boulder after a visit to Auburn and just before heading to see Alabama.
The trip wasn’t just for show—Morgan posted a pic with Colorado’s director of player personnel, Corey Phillips, right from Pearl Street, and insiders say he looked right at home.
So, is this five-star wideout the missing piece Deion’s been searching for? According to Prime Time For College Football’s host Jay, it might already be a wrap. “Watching this dude play—he can ball. And what’s crazy about it is he pulled up earlier this week into town, and when he pulled up, like I said, it was kind of a surprise visit. He just showed up, and yeah, everybody’s like, ‘Oh, okay, somebody showed up here on the 18th and surprised Colorado,’” he shared on his podcast.
As it stands, Colorado’s 2026 class includes only a JUCO transfer, Domata Peko Jr., and a three-star tight end, Gavin Mueller. Not much to celebrate—unless Sanders can change the tone. And a commit from Morgan would do just that.
“He’s one that could be huge for the Buffs. Because you bring in another five-star, bring him out there to play with JuJu and them—you’re setting yourself up to continuously shock everybody,” he added, pointing to what another blue-chip addition would mean alongside 2025 five-star QB Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Morgan’s not just hype, either. The Alabama native is a two-time state high jump finalist with a personal-best of 6’8″, and he also clocked standout times in the 100 (11.19) and 200 (21.74) meter dashes. The host couldn’t hold back his excitement: “He’s one player that can do that. Dude is electric on the field. Even just watching the film on him, he gets your boy excited. I like just his overall ability to get open, his athleticism, and his size. I mean, like I said, 6’4″, 220.”
But while Colorado fans might be daydreaming already, Cederian Morgan isn’t making anything easy. Auburn and Alabama are heavy contenders—and both are playing the in-state card hard.
— Cederian “CM1” Morgan (@cedeian2) June 18, 2025
Morgan himself sounded plenty impressed after his Auburn visit. “It’s really anywhere I go; nobody’s going to give up their spot,” he said. “So you’ve got to go out there and work for it. I feel like with their receiver room, you come in here, and it’s going to make you work even harder. I know all the guys outside of football; we’re cool, and we’ve got a very good connection, I just feel like on the field it’s going to be even better. We’re going to push each other to surpass each other and stuff like that.”
So while Alabama and Auburn try to lock him down close to home, Deion Sanders is making sure Colorado’s name is right there in the mix ahead of Morgan’s July 2nd decision. But Morgan’s visit wasn’t the only headline Deion Sanders made this past week.
Deion Sanders is having a big-time recruiting run
In fact, Coach Prime and his staff have been on a quiet recruiting blitz, and two more names are turning heads—offensive lineman Xavier Payne and two-way athlete CJ Sadler.
Payne, a 6’7″, 320-pound offensive tackle from Miami, was originally committed to Florida State. But after a visit to Boulder last week, he decommitted—and suddenly, the Buffaloes are looking like a serious landing spot.
“It was great,” Payne told Rivals about his Colorado visit. “The best part was being to sit down with the offensive line coaches and truly building that connection while getting to see their plan for me and how I fit into the program.” What really hit home for him was the NFL background of Colorado’s staff.
“As I was sitting in the room it really hit me how much NFL experience is on the staff,” he said. “So not only do they know how to get there because they did it, but also because they have sent so many in their years of coaching.” He didn’t give away much, but made one thing clear: “Don’t count them out in my recruitment.”
Then there’s CJ Sadler, a 5’10” speedster out of Cass Tech in Detroit—versatile enough to play wideout and defensive back. Some are already calling him Travis Hunter 2.0. And even without Deion present—he’s been dealing with unspecified health issues—Sadler came away glowing from his visit.
“The people that was there, you know, Coach Prime with him being away—just the way they handled it without him, you know, it was kinda nice. And they treated me like family, you know—treated me like little brothers to them,” Sadler said.
His visit adds another layer of potential for Colorado’s recruiting class. Sadler fits the exact mold Coach Prime likes: position-flexible, high-ceiling, and fearless. If Morgan is the flash, Payne brings the size, and Sadler brings the swag. Right now, Colorado doesn’t appear in any top-25 recruiting rankings for 2026. But things could flip fast. And July 2nd may give us our first answer.
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