Here’s the truth: You don’t just replace a unicorn like Travis Hunter. The Jaguars WR/DB was a cheat code—a human highlight reel who played both sides of the ball like he had GameShark enabled. But while Coach Prime might be done coaching his sons, he’s not done flipping the college football script. And if you squint just right, you might see a hint of Hunter’s swagger walking back into Boulder—in the form of a hungry, fearless DB from the South.
That’d be Maurice Williams Jr., a rising Louisiana defensive back and the newest name in Colorado’s 2026 class. The 3-star flipped from Liberty to Coach Prime’s squad just days after a visit to Boulder, marking yet another recruit pulled in by the growing Prime Effect. Williams didn’t just commit—he stamped it with a bold message hours later: “Playing for a university like Colorado is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Being able to showcase my talents on a high level is an ultimate blessing.”
2026 New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr CB Maurice Williams Jr. has switched his pledge from Liberty to the #CUBuffs: “Playing for a University like Colorado is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Being able to showcase my talents on a high level is an ultimate blessing.”
— Adam Munsterteiger (@adamcm777) June 25, 2025
Now look, Williams isn’t Travis Hunter 2.0—let’s not get carried away. But for a defense that just lost its best all-around weapon to the NFL, he offers a whole lot to get excited about. Williams may be listed at 5-foot-11 and 165 pounds, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in sheer grit. His tape shows a DB who isn’t afraid to press, get dirty in the run game, or challenge bigger receivers without blinking. He’s got the closing speed and instincts that scream upside, even if he’s not playing both ways like Travis.
With his commitment, Williams joins four-star CB Preston Ashley to form a potential lockdown duo in Colorado’s future secondary. That duo might not replicate Hunter’s stat sheet from 2024—1,258 receiving yards and 15 TDs on offense, four picks on defense, and a Big 12 DPOY crown—but they don’t need to. They just need to bring some swagger, versatility, and that Prime polish.
Williams is just the 4th recruit in Colorado’s 2026 class—a class currently sitting at 89th in the nation and dead last in the Big 12 according to Rivals. But with Williams and Ashley, it’s clear Coach Prime is prioritizing culture and character while he reloads. And let’s be real: there’s something special brewing in Boulder again.
Deion Sanders’ Influence Sparks 4-Star Preston Ashley’s Bold Commitment Celebration
Before Maurice Williams Jr. flipped, it was four-star cornerback Preston Ashley who stole the spotlight in full-on Prime Time fashion. Ashley, a 2026 recruit out of Brandon, Mississippi, didn’t just commit to Colorado—he threw a full-blown party with a soundtrack. The moment he said “Presto Money a Colorado Buffalo!” and Deion’s ‘Must Be the Money’ started playing? Chills.
Ashley leaned into his southern roots, surrounded by friends and family, and made it clear that Boulder felt like home. “This showed me that after I leave Brandon, Mississippi, I could call this place home,” he said. That one quote said it all. Prime didn’t just win him over with football talk—he sold the whole Colorado experience.
Ashley’s fit with the Buffaloes is bigger than his 6-foot frame or his 4-star badge. He’s got that elusive combination of football IQ, top-tier athleticism, and undeniable swagger that makes him a Coach Prime prototype. Last year he balled out with 68 tackles, three TFLs, five pass breakups, and a pick—and he even returned kicks. At Brandon High, he was that guy, helping lead them to the MHSAA 7A title game.
The plan? Originally, Ashley was going to hold off his decision until September, maybe commit around that FSU vs. Bama clash. But after his Boulder visit, he was done window shopping. “Everything about it from the coaches to the city… I was really blown away from everything,” he told BuffStampede. Just like that, the ninth-best player in Mississippi shut it down.
It’s hard to overstate what this kind of commitment means for Colorado. In a recruiting landscape ruled by hype, facilities, and flashy NIL offers, Prime’s still out here winning with charisma, vision, and raw connection. Even as he recovers from his latest health scare, his shadow looms large over every commitment.
In the span of 48 hours, Sanders landed two DBs who could help define his next era. And together? Well, maybe Travis Hunter ain’t the last Colorado DB we’ll be talking about come December.
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