Head coach Deion Sanders speaks at the press conference after the game against Oklahoma State University at Folsom Field on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (Clementine Miller/CU Independent)
Confirmation of top recruits in the class of 2025 choosing the University of Colorado on signing day has brought excitement and promise to the program following the upcoming graduations of star players on both sides of the ball.
One of these recruits, Julian Lewis, is a five-star quarterback from Carrollton, Georgia. Lewis was previously committed to the University of Southern California before decommitting and switching to Colorado. The top high school recruit is graduating a year early to join the team in 2025. He has compiled over 10,000 career passing yards, which is unheard of at the high school level.
Other offensive standouts, such as Adrian Wilson, Quentin Gibson, and Quanell X Farrakhan Jr., are joining the Buffs as wide receivers and will help maintain Colorado’s reputation for having an undeniably talented offensive team.
Gibson, ranked the No. 181 wide receiver in his class, had dozens of offers from major schools after a standout year in which he totaled 506 yards and 10 touchdowns in just the first three games of the season.
“I hope to learn how to be a better man in life outside of football, and inside football, I want to learn what it’s going to take for me to get to the next level,” Gibson said. “I bring the ability to flip the field no matter where we are, I bring consistency… I hope to fill the shoes of LaJohntay Wester and Jimmy Horn Jr.”
Farrakhan Jr. has also made waves in Texas with a high school record of 330 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns. He also has gotten 2,086 receiving yards and 28 touchdowns.
Wilson rounds out the wide receivers with an impressive 136 receptions for 2,531 yards and 36 touchdowns in high school. Wilson, a four-star recruit, will join Colorado as a key offensive addition.
Defensively, top recruits like London Merritt and Alexander McPherson have committed to Colorado and bring impressive statistics to the table. McPherson is ranked as the No. 81 edge rusher and No. 88 player in Florida with a three-star rating. Merritt enters Colorado after de-committing from Ohio State University, bringing a strong combination of football and track talent. The Atlanta native totaled 23 tackles and 1 sack in just 8 games this year as a defensive lineman. He discussed his decision on Nightcap, explaining his reasoning for flipping his commitment from Ohio State.
“The way that Colorado believes in me and the consistency… it was a business decision for me, and I had to bet on myself,” Merritt said. “[I] definitely want to become a freshman All-American; that’s one of my main goals when I get there.”
Another player to watch is offensive tackle Cadre Smith. The four-star recruit is another USC commitment flip, ranked as the No. 18 offensive tackle in his class. After three seasons on his varsity team with a 10-2 record, Smith received accolades from his high school in Mobile, Alabama.
With 14 total commitment signings in the class of 2025, many from IMG Academy, Colorado is ranked 44th in the team recruiting rankings and has set a path for success in the coming years.
Contact CU Independent football writer Julie Torten Rabinowitz at Julie.Torten.Rabinowitz@Colorado.edu
