4-Star Recruit Sends Strong Message to Deion Sanders, Col...

By Rowan Fisher-ShottonShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Saturday's loss at Kansas State left Colorado’s record at 3-9 (1-8 Big 12), closing a year that was riddled with inconsistency on offense, a quarterback carousel, and a five-game skid to cap the season.

The 24-14 defeat in Manhattan closed the book on a campaign that fell well short of the highs Colorado reached in 2024.

Yet despite the steep decline, one of the Buffaloes’ premier 2026 recruits stood firm in his pledge to coach Deion Sanders.

Preston Ashley, a four-star cornerback from Brandon, Mississippi, committed to Colorado on June 24, 2025, after returning on an official visit.

On Wednesday, after officially signing his letter of intent, he pointed to his adversity as the reason he’s stayed loyal to Sanders, saying, 'When times get hard, who's going to be that dog?'"

"If I could get my flight there tomorrow, I would. I'm that ready," Ashley added.

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Sanders arrived in Boulder in December 2022 after rebuilding Jackson State, where he earned consecutive SWAC Coach of the Year awards after leading the Tigers to back-to-back SWAC titles (2021, 2022).

Taking over a 1-11 Buffaloes team, Sanders immediately turned the program around, securing a 4-8 record in his first year before delivering a breakout 9-4 campaign in 2024 (including an Alamo Bowl appearance), and then signing a five-year, $54 million extension in March 2025.

Colorado’s resurgence under Sanders quickly reshaped both expectations and recruiting leverage.

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Ashley, 247Sports' No. 22-ranked CB and No. 10 prospect in Mississippi, received more than 20 offers from several major college football programs, including Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, and Tennessee.

For Sanders, landing and holding a blue-chip defensive back during a losing season is a massive recruiting win that blunts any narratives of recruits fleeing the program.

Ashley’s commitment also stabilizes a relatively small 2026 Colorado class, with just eight players having signed their letter of intent, and provides an immediate contributor in the secondary.

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