Deion Sanders Targets High-Upside Edge Rusher in Key Recruiting Push

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Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and his staff are focusing their recruiting efforts on edge rusher James Harris, an unranked but highly athletic prospect from Cy Falls High School in Houston, Texas. Harris is expected to visit Boulder on March 11 as Sanders tries to disrupt Arizona's current momentum in Harris' recruitment. The Buffaloes are looking to add Harris' raw athleticism and explosive play style to their front seven as they undergo a youth movement on defense.

Why it matters

For a Buffaloes defense in the middle of a youth movement, adding a player like Harris is precisely what Sanders and his staff need. Harris’s raw athleticism and explosive ability coming off the edge will give Colorado a prospect with a great deal of upside that could develop into a dominant pass rusher.

The details

Harris is expected to visit Boulder on March 11, where he will tour the facilities and spend time with the coaching staff. The Arizona Wildcats are still considered the favorites to land Harris, but Colorado has ramped up its recruiting push over the past month. Harris is unranked by 247Sports, but the type of potential that the prospect has in the next season is that which could propel him into the three and four-star ranks. Harris is coming off a successful junior season in which he accumulated 68 tackles, 23 of those for loss, with seven sacks and one forced fumble.

• Harris is expected to visit Boulder on March 11, 2026.

What’s next

Whether Sanders and his staff can close the gap with Arizona remains to be seen, but the Buffaloes are clearly making an effort to land Harris. The upcoming visit on March 11 will be a key opportunity for Colorado to demonstrate how Harris’ athleticism could be utilized in their front defense and why Boulder could be the ideal location for him to play.