As Deion Sanders prepared to unveil his first recruiting class at Colorado Wednesday on National Signing Day, a man known for his exuberance and flair momentarily turned down the charm. Instead, he stared down at a sheet of paper and rattled off numbers in rapid succession.

Each of the 42 recruits in the Buffs’ 2023 class has a story of how they got to this point in their lives and careers, and the ballyhooed class itself helps tell a story of its own, but the collection of players is also well understood as a series of statistics. What Sanders has managed to accomplish in just two months in Boulder is something not only backed up by excitement, euphoria and unquestionably positive vibes, but also facts, figures and numerals.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Colorado’s 2023 class by the numbers.

2

The number of five-star recruits the Buffs have in the 2023 class, with Cormani McClain and Travis Hunter. It’s the most five-star prospects Colorado has had in a single class going back to the start of these various ratings systems and it doubles the number of five-star players the Buffs had signed in the previous 25 years. McClain is the program’s first five-star high-school player in 15 years.

“I build outside-in when I’m thinking defensively,” Sanders said. “We’re going to take pass rushers and corners. Let’s go get it. Now, let’s go get the big boys to make sure they stabilize and control the run game. When you’re able to attain a couple of guys of that caliber…not only guys that are really good corners, but they make plays on the ball. Both those guys have tremendous receiver capability.”

Colorado’s seven four-star recruits in the 2023 class is tied with the 2002 class for the most ever at the school.