4-star DL Emanuel Ruffin taking official visit to Colorado this weekend

Bessemer City (Ala.) four-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin remains one of last blue-chip prospects on the board in the 2026 cycle. After taking a step back this summer, his recruiting process has been lowkey.

Earlier this week, Colorado jumped in the mix for the 6-foot-3.5, 290-pounder with an offer. Now, Ruffin tells Rivals’ Chad Simmons that he’s headed to Boulder this weekend for an official visit as the Buffaloes take on Wyoming.

Ruffin was originally set to take an unofficial visit to Mississippi State this weekend, but he’s instead headed out West. He’s also set an Oct. 4 OV to Missouri next month.

He had eyed a Fourth of July commitment like many other blue-chippers in his class, and at the time it was LSU and Ohio State at the top of his process. Ruffin told Simmons in July that he was instead hitting the brakes on his process and wanted to get out to campuses for visits this fall.

“I was rushing things,” Ruffin said. “I had it down to two schools and I set my commitment date, but I was moving too fast. Now I want to see what school is really best for me. A lot of teams are getting commitments, so I want to take my time and find the best place for me.”

Ruffin is the No. 196 overall prospect and No. 21 DL in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 12 player in Alabama and one of just two top-200 recruits that’s currently uncommitted this cycle.

Looking at Colorado’s 2026 class

Much like the previous cycles under head coach Deion Sanders, Colorado has kept things light and currently has just 11 commits in its 2026 class — which ranks No. 68 nationally, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

The Southeast is well-represented at the top of the pledge list. Brandon (Miss.) four-star cornerback Preston Ashley committed in June and sits atop the class as the No. 235 recruit overall. A few weeks later on July 12, the Buffs landed Newnan (Ga.) four-star linebacker Rodney Colton, a top-40 recruit in the Peach State.

“The whole staff made an impact on my commitment. They have over 200 years of experience in the NFL. The staff is about development and they know what it takes, so I am ready to go there and help them change things,” Colton told Simmons about his decision.

South Elgin (Ill.) tight end commit Gavin Mueller has been in the fold since May and was recently tabbed as the No. 7 TE in the updated Rivals300. The entire CU class to date can be seen here.