Coach Prime and the Buffs make a rare move.
Texas HS standout Cam Newton commits to Deion Sanders and Colorado originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Texas high school standout Cam Newton is headed to Boulder, giving Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders a rare but notable win on the recruiting trail.
Colorado has largely prioritized the transfer portal under Coach Prime, but when the Buffaloes dip into high school recruiting, it is usually for a player they believe can develop into a starter.
Newton fits that profile. The Prosper, Texas, running back in the 2026 class announced his commitment Monday following an official visit to Boulder.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound three-star prospect from Walnut Grove High School was one of the most productive players in Texas this fall. Newton rushed for 2,402 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior, earning three-time team MVP, district MVP and Army Bowl MVP honors while carrying his team to a standout season.
God I’m thankful…I’m home!🦬🦬 #WECOMING#SkoBuffspic.twitter.com/tPn3ceYs3y
— 𝐂𝐚𝐦 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐭𝐨𝐧 (@Camnewton_2026) January 19, 2026
Despite video-game numbers, Newton was relatively underrecruited, holding roughly 20 scholarship offers. Colorado was the only Power Four program to extend one, a reality that shows Sanders’ selective approach and the staff’s belief in Newton’s upside.
Newton shares a name with former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL MVP Cam Newton, whose dominant high school career at Westlake High School in Atlanta helped make him a five-star, dual-threat quarterback. While the Colorado commit plays running back, the physical running style and production draw a natural comparison.
Colorado’s 2026 class currently includes 12 signed players and four hard commits, including Newton. The group is ranked No. 62 nationally and sits near the bottom of the Big 12, with no five-star prospects — making Newton’s pledge one of the more interesting developmental bets of the cycle.
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