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Colorado offers blue-chip DB committed to Big Ten program

hunterby: Hunter Shelton04/30/25HunterShelton_
Deion Sanders on Shedeur Sanders Travis Hunter jersey retirement
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It’s been another slow start on the recruiting trail for Deion Sanders and Colorado this cycle. Up until this week, the Buffaloes were without a high school commitment in the 2026 class.

That changed on Monday, as Calabasas (Calif.) JUCO EDGE Domata Peko Jr., the son of new Buffs DL coach Domata Peko, announced his pledge. CU does have momentum with some blue-chip prospects, and on Wednesday, it sent out a new offer to a prospect currently committed elsewhere.

Nashville Ensworth four-star cornerback Justin Hopkins chose Minnesota over Georgia Tech, Tennessee and USC in February. He remains pledged to the Golden Gophers, but is now the latest to add an offer from the polarizing Big 12 program in Boulder.

“Every time I talked to another school, it just couldn’t compare to how I felt when I talked with the Minnesota coaches,” Hopkins told On3’s Chad Simmons upon committing. “Coach (Nick) Monroe came down twice, coach Fleck came down once and there was no comparison for me.”

Hopkins is the No. 326 overall prospect and No. 31 CB in the 2026 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 11 player in Tennessee.

While listed as a defensive back, Hopkins is an elite two-way playmaker at the high school level. As a junior for Ensworth last season, he caught 42 passes for 705 yards and seven touchdowns while also accumulating 16 tackles, seven pass breakups and a pair of interceptions.

Ensworth put together an 11-1 season and finished as the No. 5 team in the state of Tennessee, per the On3 Composite Rankings. Hopkins will be a key piece for the Tigers once again this fall.

More on Colorado Recruiting

As has become custom during the Sanders tenure in Boulder, CU recruiting picked up some serious steam late in the 2025 cycle. The Buffaloes inked 14 high school prospects, putting together the nation’s No. 35 class, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

The biggest win came at the end of November when Carrollton (Ga.) four-star quarterback Julian Lewis flipped to the Buffs from USC. He closed as the No. 7 QB in the cycle and will compete for the starting job as a true freshman this fall.

Lewis was one of seven four-stars to sign with Colorado. Toward the end of the 2024 cycle, CU won the high-profile recruitment of Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Jordan Seaton. The trench monster came out of Florida high school powerhouse IMG Academy. The 2025 class saw two more IMG products sign with CU in four-star EDGE London Merritt and three-star EDGE Alexander McPherson.

To date, Hopkins is the second highest-ranked commit in Minnesota’s 2026 class, which ranks No. 34 nationally.