Deion Sanders’s latest recruiting victory for Colorado wasn’t won in a living room this year but on a youth football field nearly two decades ago. This is the story of how Colorado bagged Braylon “Hitman” Edwards, a standout DB from Duncanville High School in Texas, who committed to and signed with Colorado on December 5, 2025, the final day of the early signing period.
While Edwards’ “collegiate journey” consists of high-profile recruiting commitments, his pledge to the Buffs sparks a reunion. Appearing on Dukesthescoop, his father, Lenéric Edwards, tells a previously unheard story, revealing how familiarity wins during recruitment.
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“Braylon got a phone call or whatever; he got a message from [Kevin] Mathis that we’re real familiar with. We’ve been knowing forever; he hit us up and was like, ‘Are y’all actually really still open?’ You know, we’re like, ‘Yeah, we’re still open,’ and he was like, ‘Let me talk to somebody. I’m going to get right back with you.’ Then the next day, Coach [Darrius Darden-]Box hit us up. And then, you know, Coach Prime called; that’s our dog from way back,” said Lenéric.
“So, those are people we all know. It’s like six years on that coaching staff we’ve been knowing forever that have coached him for a long time. So, we felt really comfortable with that.”
Braylon Edwards verbally committed to SMU in May 2024, and he cited the “great environment” and the fact that the coaching staff had believed in his talent since he was smaller (5’9″, 165 lbs) as his reason for choosing them. But last October, he officially decommitted from SMU, reopening his recruitment. Yet, Deion Sanders wasn’t the frontrunner in his recruitment.
Edwards had offers from Texas Tech, Utah, Auburn, and Arkansas. In fact, he was briefly poised to commit to Arkansas. However, the Razorbacks changed course after hiring Ryan Silverfield rather than retaining Bobby Petrino. Then he committed to Deion Sanders’s program, saying, “At the top of the mountains, greatness begins.”
Here’s where familiarity sealed the deal. “Coach Prime had a connection even before, back when he was flagged, running a touchdown. About 20 yards out, he started high-stepping and got a flag called, so get to the sideline, about to cry.”
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“I started playing for Coach Prime when I was 5 years old. He was one of my first coaches. I played for him six years,” said Braylon Edwards. “He knows my whole family, and we traveled and played in different states. I was in Canton when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.”
Having played for Sanders’ Truth Youth League starting at age five, Braylon Edwards has a deep personal history with Coach Prime. Moreover, several members of the Colorado coaching staff were also his youth coaches, making the move feel like “coming home.”
As of now, he arrived in Boulder after leading Duncanville to a 10-1 record and a deep postseason run into the Texas 6A playoffs. Last season, as a senior, he recorded 89 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 13 PBUs. Interestingly, he started 49 consecutive games over his high school career without injury.
Deion Sanders won the race at the last minute
Braylon Edwards’ shift from Arkansas to Colorado was a major late-cycle recruiting development that occurred during the 2025 early signing period. Although he was once considered an Arkansas “silent commit” or leaning heavily toward the Razorbacks after decommitting from SMU, a coaching change and a surprise offer from Deion Sanders changed his path.
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Before pivoting to Colorado, Edwards was set on the Razorbacks because of the stability he perceived under the interim leadership. Edwards explicitly stated that he was committing to Arkansas because he believed Bobby Petrino would be named the permanent head coach. He noted that “the whole organization felt Petrino was going to be the guy.”
But after the Silverfield hire, the Colorado DB became concerned with the new staff’s strategy. He mentioned that the new coach “decided he wanted to build in the portal,” whereas Edwards wanted a program where he could see how things would “shake out” for a high school recruit. Once Arkansas’s leadership changed, Edwards reopened his recruitment to explore other options, which led to his final decision on Early National Signing Day.
After a recruiting battle won through long-standing relationships, the focus now shifts to whether that familiarity can translate into on-field success for the Buffaloes.
