BOULDER—As Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders put the finishing touches on the first day of the 2025 early signing period, one thing is for certain for the Colorado Buffaloes: The future is bright.

Spurred by 5-star QB Julian Lewis, the Buffaloes signed 14 players in all and it’s not all Lewis, as eight of the other 13 players who signed were rated as a 4-star recruit various recruiting services.

The eight 4-star recruits already ranks as the second-most in CU history along with Coach Prime’s first class in 2023. The 2024 class featured 11 4-star recruits including the transfer portal, which opens Monday.  This is the most 4-star recruits signed in a single high school recruiting class in CU history.

The 14 players include three offensive linemen, three wide receivers, two tight ends and a quarterback on offense and two defensive tackles, a defensive end, linebacker and safety on defense.

The class features three players apiece from Georgia and Florida, with two players from Tennessee and Texas and one apiece from Alabama, Alaska, Colorado and New Jersey.

Lewis is the third 5-star recruit signed by Coach Prime alongside Travis Hunter (a 5-star out of the transfer portal, joining him from Jackson State) in 2023 and OT Jordan Seaton in 2024.  Coach Prime now has three of the five 5-star recruits credited to CU by the services.

A brief look at the class, with links to bios:

TJ Branch, S, 6-3, 180, Miami, Fla. (Miami Northwestern)
A 4-star by ESPN and On3, which both have him as a top 50 player from Florida.

Zayne DeSouza, TE, 6-6, 255, Loveland, Colo. (Loveland)
The lone Colorado player signed on Wednesday, DeSouza is a top three player from Colorado and ranked as high as the No. 26 tight end in the class (ESPN).

Quanell Farrakhan Jr., WR, 6-2, 170, Houston, Texas (North Shore)
A consensus 4-star prospect, he is a Top 50 wide receiver and Top 50 player from Texas in the class.  He has helped North Shore to a perfect 13-0 record this season in the Texas 6A playoffs.

Jay Gardenhire, OT, 6-8, 330, Maplewood, N.J. (West Bloomfield)
Listed at a massive 6-8 and 330 pounds, Gardenhire is the lone signee from New Jersey giving and the 10th overall from the garden state.

Quentin Gibson, WR, 5-9, 165, Fort Worth, Texas (North Crowley)
A 4-star Texas wide receiver by both 247 Sports and On3, he was named one of 10 finalists for 2024 Mr. Texas Football.

Chauncey Gooden, OG, 6-3, 360, Nashville, Tenn. (Lipscomb Academy)
A 4-star player ranked in the top 200 nationally by 247, he’s an all-state lineman who played for high profile coaches Kevin Mawae (NFL Hall of Famer) and Trent Dilfer (Super Bowl winner).

Christian Hudson, DT, 6-1, 290, Daytona Beach, Fla. (Mainland)
Hudson is a three-time all-state player from Florida who ranks as high as the No. 23 defensive lineman in the class (ESPN).

Corbin Laisure, TE, 6-5, 225-, Bluff City, Tenn. (Science Hill)
A top 30 tight end prospect and top 40 player from Tennessee, he starred on both sides of the ball in high school with over 1,500 yards receiving and 15 touchdowns and over 200 tackles on defense with two interceptions.

Julian Lewis, QB, 6-1, 190, Carrollton, Ga. (Carrollton)
Five-star quarterback ranked as high as the No. 2 player in the class, he is 38-3 with up to three rounds of playoffs remaining and has over 10,000 yards and 140 touchdowns in just three years after he reclassified from the 2026 class to 2025.

Alexander McPherson, DT, 6-4, 250, Stuart, Fla. (IMG Academy)
A Top 100 Florida prospect ranked as high as the No. 31 edge player in the class from famed IMG Academy, he joins one other recruit and four current players on the roster from IMG including 5-star Jordan Seatonfrom the 2023 class.

London Merritt, DE, 6-3, 255, Atlanta, Ga. (IMG Academy)
A top 25 player from Florida and the No. 5 edge player in the class by ESPN and Rivals, another IMG Academy star and well-rounded athlete who rank a 12.48 100 in track and averaged over 20 points per game in basketball.

Carde Smith, OT, 6-5, 290, Mobile, Ala. (Williamson)
A 4-star tackle ranked as high as the No. 12 tackle in the class, he is a top 300 player nationally  As high as No. 12 ranked OT nationally Top 300 player that helped his team to a 10-2 record.

Mantrez Walker, LB, 6-1, 225, Buford, Ga. (Buford)
The second player on the roster from Buford along with Alejandro Mata, he is a 4-star prospect and top 20 linebacker from Rivals.

Adrian Wilson, WR, 6-2, 170, Anchorage, Alaska (Weiss)
A 4-star prospect and top 200 player nationally, he is ranked as the No. 35 receiver in the class who had over 2,400 yards receiving and 36 touchdowns in his high school career.

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Story by Curtis Snyder, Associate AD/Athletic Communications for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.