Key Points:
- Colorado dropped its third straight game and lost its top defensive line recruit to Ohio State.
- Four-star Emanuel Ruffin flipped his commitment from Colorado to Ohio State after visiting Columbus.
- Ruffin cited Ohio State’s NFL preparation and coaching staff as key reasons for his decision.
Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes are on one of the more brutal free-falls in college football.
The Buffs went into Saturday’s matchup against West Virginia coming off back-to-back losses to Utah and Arizona, in which they were outscored 105-24. With hopes of finding a spark, the third-year head coach turned to true freshman and former five-star quarterback recruit out of Georgia, Julian Lewis. While Lewis himself put up a good fight, completing 22-of-35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, it wasn’t enough.
Colorado ultimately lost 29-22, dropping their third straight game while also falling short of making it to a bowl game for the second time in Sanders’ tenure, as they are 3-7 on the season.
In addition to the loss on the field, the Buffs also suffered a loss off it on Sunday.
Former Colorado commit Emanuel Ruffin flips to Big Ten power
After committing to Colorado back in September, Emanuel Ruffin backed off his pledge to Sanders and the Buffs on Nov. 4. It didn’t take long for him to find a new home, as he announced his commitment to Ohio State on Sunday.
When touching on why he felt Ohio State was the right place for him over Colorado and a program like Missouri, who also made a push for his services, Ruffin revealed to 247Sports’ Tom Loy that he felt the Ohio State program gave him the best chance to prepare for the NFL.
“I feel Ohio State is the place for me because they get you ready for the next level,” said Ruffin. “It’s not like Missouri can’t get me ready, but I feel I have a better chance to get ready for the next level at Ohio State. Being coached by coach Johnson and coach Patrick, those are my dawgs. Coach Pat was one of my first offers when he was at UAB. We’ve had a great bond. Coach Johnson, he is a great person. It’s something you can’t explain.”
Ranked as the No. 123 recruit in the country, No. 19 defensive lineman and No. 9 player in the state of Alabama, Ruffin was the top commitment for the Buffs, who now have just 12 commits in their 2026 class. With the loss of Ruffin, Sanders’ 2026 class ranks No. 78 in the country.
As for Ohio State, they continue to creep up into the top 10 as they now have the No. 7 class in the country. Considering the Buckeyes are coming off winning the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, and seem poised to have a chance to repeat, there may be even more programs around the country at risk of losing top recruits to Ryan Day and company.
For Colorado they have a bye this week before a meeting with the Arizona State Sun Devils.