What 4-Star Cornerback Recruit Preston Ashley Said About Deion Sanders, Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes gave a scholarship offer to four-star cornerback Preston Ashley. The class of 2026 recruiting target discussed his excitement regarding coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes, noting they are a top school.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders paces the field during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The Colorado Buffaloes still have their work cut out for them when it comes to recruiting the class of 2026. The Buffaloes made an offer to four-star cornerback Preston Ashley on March 7, and although he is not near a decision, Ashley is excited about the possibility of joining the Buffaloes.

Per the 247Sports' rankings, Ashley is the No. 20 safety from the class of 2026 and the No. 9 recruit from Mississippi. While Ashley is rated as a safety, it is expected he will play cornerback or nickelback in college

Ashley has a couple of visits lined up for the spring, but his recruitment is still open. In addition to Colorado, Ashley is considering Auburn, Florida State, Florida, Mississippi State, Louisville, and Ole Miss. This is not his official finalized list of schools, but it is a start.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders paces the field during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Colorado coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes made an offer for the four-star recruit in March. Ashley spoke to 247Sports about his excitement to have received a scholarship offer from Colorado.

“Look at everything they are doing, taking a program that was just a few years ago considered a joke to a dominant powerhouse team,” Ashley said. 

Ashley spoke about Sanders being one of his biggest role models and what it means to add Colorado to his list of options.

“Was overly excited with Coach Prime being one of my biggest role models as a kid and seeing what he is doing with the program,” Ashley said. “It was really just an amazing moment.”

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“(Recruiting’s) been pretty good. Difficult at times because you want to pick the right fit for you. But it’s been good so far,” Ashley said.

Ashley has a visit lined up with Auburn on March 29 and the Florida Gators on April 12. He has yet to schedule a visit with the Colorado Buffaloes.

Colorado currently has no players committed to the class of 2026, but they are pursuing several top recruits in the nation. The Buffaloes are currently making a big push for a quarterback, eying five-star Keisean Henderson and four-star Oscar Rios.

Nov 23, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas head coach Lance Leipold during the Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches the run of play during the 2nd quarter between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Colorado Buffaloes at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

Sanders has been open that he will not recruit many freshmen each year. In November, while speaking to the media, Sanders discussed his views on recruiting high school athletes.

“Just say we get 25 high school players. How many is going to play that freshman year, at the most? Let's say four or five, right? And so now you got 20 guys redshirted, so when you go through spring with that 20 guys redshirted, how many you going to retain after that spring or how many going to jump in the portal?” Sanders said. 

While Sanders may not recruit a large number of players, he looks for a group that can come in and play right away.

“Why don’t I just focus on 10 guys that can [play right away]. See when we grab a freshman we expect that guy to play,” Sanders explained.

Ashley is not close to a decision but would be a solid addition to the Colorado defense. What stands out to recruits about Colorado is the projected playing time in year one. The Buffaloes are one of the schools at the top of Ashley's list, and the next step will be to take a visit. 

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