Examining Deion Sanders, Colorado's 2025 Commits After Early National Signing Day

Colorado is trending in the right direction under Deion Sanders, and the head coach surely hopes his newest recruiting class will help him keep that momentum.

The early signing period for the 2025 class started Wednesday, and the Buffaloes are putting together an impressive group.

As of Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET, they have the No. 37 overall class on 247Sports' composite rankings. That group features the following 13 players who have already signed their letter of intent (star rankings are per 247Sports).

• Julian Lewis, QB, 4-stars
• Chauncey Gooden, IOL, 4-stars
• London Merritt, Edge, 4-stars
• Adrian Wilson, WR, 4-stars
• Quanell X Farrakhan Jr., WR, 4-stars
• Carde Smith, OT, 3-stars
• Mantrez Walker, LB, 3-stars
• Antonio Branch Jr., S, 3-stars
• Zayne DeSouza, TE, 3-stars
• Alexander McPherson, DL, 3-stars
• Quentin Gibson, WR, 3-stars
• Corbin Laisure, TE, 3-stars
• Jay Gardenhire, OT, 3-stars

Quarterback Julian Lewis is the clear headliner, and he will be following in some big footsteps.

That is because Shedeur Sanders thrived under center for the Buffaloes this season and is a primary reason why they went 9-3 after finishing 4-8 during the 2023 campaign. Sanders has completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2024.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked him as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft on its latest big board and called him the most accurate and most pro-ready among all the signal-callers.

Perhaps Lewis saw how Sanders thrived in Colorado's program and jumped at the chance to come develop at the Big 12 school.

While he surely won't have Travis Hunter to throw to after the two-way star goes to the NFL, he has some weapons joining him in this recruiting class. Wide receivers Adrian Wilson and Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. bring star potential, while Quentin Gibson provides depth.

This class also features two tight ends in Corbin Laisure and Zayne DeSouza, so there will be no shortage of options for Lewis to target and build chemistry with as he starts his collegiate career.

Protecting Lewis also seems to be a priority in this class, as offensive linemen Chauncey Gooden, Carde Smith and Jay Gardenhire are all heading to Colorado as well.

There is still time for Sanders to add to this group with the early signing period running through Friday ahead of the traditional February signing period. But it is off to a good start and seems to be a collection of talented prospects who can help build the momentum already in place at the program following the jump from 2023 to 2024.