Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star safety Samari Howard has committed to Colorado, according to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.
He’s coming off an official visit to Boulder this weekend and is headed back to the Sunshine State locked in with Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes. Indiana and West Virginia were others in contention for the defensive back.
Howard is the No. 708 overall prospect and No. 75 safety in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 69 recruit in Florida.
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Eyeing some momentum on the high school recruiting trail, Sanders and his staff have always recruited the state of Florida well and that’s once again the case with the 2027 class. Howard is the fourth prospect from Florida to choose CU so far this cycle.
West Palm Beach (Fla.) Palm Beach Central three-star offensive tackle Zaquan Linton and Saint Petersburg (Fla.) Gibbs running back Steven Alexis also chose the Buffs this weekend. Miami Killian three-star cornerback Davon Dericho has been committed since February.
As a junior for St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the top high school football programs in Florida, Howard compiled 34 total tackles, four pass deflections and three interceptions, according to MaxPreps.
More on Colorado recruiting
With Howard now in the mix, CU is up to 14 total commits this cycle. The class checks in at No. 38 nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
The top-ranked prospect in the class is a big one. On April 14, Nashville Antioch four-star quarterback Andre Adams committed to the Buffs. He’s now the No. 185 recruit and No. 15 QB in the nation.
“I looked at all my options, and it just came down to Colorado,” Adams told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “I chose Colorado for a lot of reasons. One is how I like their underdog mentality. Everyone looks at them in that way, and that stands out to me.”
“Since last summer, Colorado has been a contender for me. I just hadn’t been out there yet. They were one of my first offers, and they stayed consistent with me the whole time.”
Other top commits in the class include: Summerville (S.C.) Oceanside Collegiate four-star wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray, Pittsburgh Imani Christian four-star safety Gabe Jenkins, Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy three-star offensive tackle Li’Marcus Jones, Moody (Ala.) Pell City three-star EDGE Ba’Roc Willis and Olney (Md.) Good Counsel three-star interior offensive lineman Jaiden Lindsay.