Coach Prime's Colorado emerge as one of the biggest losers following National Signing day despite addition of star QB Julian Lewis

Coach Prime may have gotten Julian Lewis as the crown jewel of his Colorado 2025 recruiting class. Yet the overwhelming impression remains that he underachieved and fell short of the expected mark, considering the recruits the program pursued.

Yahoo Sports’ Adam Gorney said that missing out on three prime targets meant that the Buffs were one of the 2025 cycle’s biggest losers. He wrote:

“The Buffaloes had a great finish to November, a phenomenal end to the month, but Colorado did whiff on some final big-ticket targets. Five-star OL Michael Carroll stuck with Alabama, four-star LB Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng went to Michigan, and four-star DB Alex Graham flipped to USC.”

It was imperative for Coach Prime to get new recruits to fill positions that will be left vacant by some expected NFL exits. Standout quarterback and Prime’s son Shedeur Sanders, his brother, safety Shilo Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter are set for the big league.

Getting their long-term replacements was a preoccupation for Coach Prime throughout the 2025 high school recruiting cycle. His headliner for the class, Julian Lewis, is a success story, snatching the talented quarterback prospect from Lincoln Riley's USC. The five-star quarterback is a top-10 quarterback in the 2025 class.

Nevertheless, Shedeur will leave behind pretty big shows for him to fill. With Shedeur calling the plays this season, the Buffs went 9-3 in the regular season, a big upgrade from their 4-8 finish last season. Shedeur completed 74.2% of his pass attempts this season for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns.

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Is Coach Prime satisfied with his high school recruits?

Despite analysts’ verdict on Coach Prime's haul in the 2025 high school recruiting cycle, he appears satisfied with what he achieved.

According to him, the Buffs got what they wanted. While the class is ranked No. 37 nationally, per 247Sports Composite Rankings, some of the Buffs’ landmark signings cannot be overlooked.

Apart from Lewis, Coach Prime lured four-star edge rusher London Merritt from Ohio State. And to partner with the quarterback are wide receivers Adrian Wilson and Quanell Farrakhan Jr.

His options are even more diverse, with tight ends Corbin Laisure and Zayne DeSouza. He has also made it clear that his high school recruits are not just to make up the numbers. At a press conference last week, Coach Prime said:

"You know we don’t take a lot of high school players and the ones that we take, we want them to play immediately. We want them to produce."

It's noteworthy that Coach Prime's recruiting strategy for his roster has tilted more towards the transfer portal than high school. While his high school recruiting got better this cycle, the portal will remain his primary place to shop for talent for now.