With Class of 2022 tailback and St. Thomas Aquinas alum Anthony Hankerson set to arrive in Boulder this summer, Colorado is already eyeing a pair of his former teammates within the Raiders' offensive backfield.

On Monday, the Buffs extended a pair of offers to St. Thomas Aquinas running backs: Gemari Sands of the 2023 class and Jordan Lyle, a 2024 prospect.

Since Karl Dorrell took over the football program in Boulder in early 2020, Colorado has recruited St. Thomas Aquinas well.

Allan Baugh, entering his sophomore season at CU, is a Raiders alum and was the first verbal commitment Dorrell ever received upon taking the job at Colorado.

Hankerson is a 2022 signee for the Buffaloes and currently, CU holds a verbal commitment from 2023 Raiders wideout Isaiah Hardge.

Given the connections that Colorado has to St. Thomas Aquinas, it should come as no surprise that the Buffs are placing such an emphasis on recruiting the Raiders.

For a refresher, corners coach Rod Chance is a Raiders alum, as is Director of Player Personnel Chandler Dorrell and recruiting assistant Emily Giusti.

A powerhouse high school program at the national level, St. Thomas Aquinas has captured three consecutive Florida Class 7A state titles dating back to 2019.

Hankerson did most of the heavy lifting on the ground for the Raiders last season, rushing for 1,057 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior.

But behind him, Sands and Lyle both got their feet wet; the former had 38 carries for 465 yards (12.2 yards per carry average), scoring four touchdowns, while Lyle took 34 handoffs for 225 yards and two scores.

Sands has attracted offers from Florida Atlantic, Florida, Pittsburgh and the Buffs, among a few others.

While he still has two seasons of high school football ahead of him, Lyle has emerged already as a highly-sought-after underclassman running back prospect.

Other than CU, his offer sheet includes Georgia, Maryland, Pitt, Penn State, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Rutgers and others.

Both prospects recently participated in the Rivals Camp Series Miami, where Sands earned high marks for his abilities in the passing game.

"Sands isn't a burner, but he is so slippery in space that defenders had a very hard time keeping the ball out of his hands. He has great feet and expertly runs routes with crisp cuts to create separation from the defender. Sands caught the ball with relative consistency and showed that, without elite straight line speed, he was still able to have a lot of success as a receiver out of the backfield," Adam Friedman, National Recruiting Analyst.