The Denver Post

No. 1 OT recruit committing to Buffs

- By Sean Keeler skeeler@denverpost.com

Coach Prime just landed his Prime-time offensive lineman.

Jordan Seaton, the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, announced on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” on Thursday morning that he’s committing to the CU Buffs.

The 6-foot-5, 287-pound blocker played his senior season of football at IMG Academy in Florida after transferri­ng in from St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C.

“You’ve got to believe in Coach Prime,” Seaton told Fox Sports 1. “Having the opportunit­y to play with somebody who’s done it at the highest level, a (Hallof-fame) level. Very few can say they did that. I’ve got two Heisman candidates (to play with) — Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, they’re amazing. You know how they go. If you ain’t rocking with us and you claim you’re a dawg, why are you not coming to Colorado? Why (are) you not helping somebody who looks like you?”

The Buffs hosted Seaton, a 5-star recruit, during their loss to Oregon State on Nov. 4. The tackle had offers from 29 Power 5 programs, per the 247Sports database, and had been considerin­g CU along with Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Florida and Tennessee.

Seaton represents one of Coach Prime’s biggest recruiting wins as a head coach in a short career that’s seen several already.

Sanders shocked experts by landing cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, the nation’s No. 1 prep recruit in the Class of 2022, at Jackson State. Hunter then followed Coach Prime from Jackson, Miss., to CU. Hunter, a sophomore, was recently presented with the 2023 Paul Hornung Award, given annually to “the most versatile player in major college football.”

Seaton also addresses the Buffs’ most glaring weakness in Sanders’ first season as an FBS coach: the offensive line.

CU allowed the most sacks (56) of any Power 5 program this past fall, and Sanders’ son Shedeur, the Buffs’ starting quarterbac­k, was sacked 52 times in 11 starts.

“That will never happen again,” Seaton told Fox Sports 1.

It’s presumed that, like Shedeur, Seaton will start from Day 1 at CU.

The Buffs’ starting left tackle this past season, Gerad Christian-lichtenhan, recently entered the transfer portal.

“He’s an elite-level football player,” Pat Ward, Seaton’s former coach at St. John’s, told The Post last month. “Just a very good athlete, great work ethic, wants to be a great player. One of the best players I’ve ever coached.”

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