CU Buffs, Deion Sanders add four-star recruit, lose another

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the Colorado football team on the field.

On the recruiting trail Tuesday, the Buffs had a win and a loss.

Alex Ward, a four-star recruit in the 2027 class, verbally committed to CU and head coach Deion Sanders. Meanwhile, four-star defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin decommitted from the Buffs’ 2026 class.

Listed at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Ward, from IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida), recently decommitted from Alabama. He has 13 offers, including from Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas A&M. He is the younger brother of Christian Ward, an IMG Academy receiver who is verbally committed for CU for the 2026 class.

Ward played at Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia, last year as a sophomore, catching nine passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 18 tackles, a sack and two interceptions on defense. He transferred to IMG this year.

Ward is the first verbal commitment for the Buffs for the 2027 class.

Ruffin, a 6-foot-4, 290-pounder from Bessemer City (Alabama) High School, had committed to CU in September after visiting the campus.

“After much prayer and consideration, I want to take a moment to thank my family, friends, and teammates for always supporting me throughout this journey,” Ruffin wrote on social media. “I’d also like to thank University of Colorado and their staff for believing in me and recruiting me. With that being said, I have decided to decommit from University of Colorado.”

In June, Ruffin took visits to blueblood programs Alabama, LSU and Ohio State. Those schools are among the 31 scholarship offers received by Ruffin.

CU has 12 verbal commitments for the 2026 class.

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