COMMITMENT: Florida WR Asaad Waseem makes the call for Colorado
Assuming he didn't hate Boulder and his visit to Colorado, Asaad Waseem seemed bound to end up committing to the the Buffs. He completed the process Saturday night after announcing his pledge to CU and new head coach Deion Sanders while on a visit with the team. The Ocoee High School standout made the long trek from Florida to Boulder as part of the first big recruiting weekend for the Buffs under the new staff.
Waseem was one of the early offers for CU after Sanders was hired, and the 5-foot-11 receiver's longtime relationship with new staff member David Kelly helped pave the way allowing him to earn that offer and eventually commit to the Buffs on his visit.
As a Florida-based recruit, Waseem has grown up with Sanders as one of his idols so he was happy when having an opportunity to play for the NFL Hall of Famer became a reality in recent days.
"I'm very excited," he said. "Everybody knows Deion Sanders. That's really one of my inspirations growing up watching his film high-stepping into the end zone, just showing that swag. That's what I really like about him. I'm really big on swag and being yourself. So this staff, they're all about having swag and getting it done on the field. I really like that."
Waseem had an outstanding senior season at Ocoee helping his team reach the semifinal of the state playoffs while bringing in 82 passes for 1,482 yards receiving and 20 total touchdowns.
The new CU commit says Kelly has been attracted by his ability to run routes and his strong hands.
"That's really what he likes about me," Waseem said.
Waseem is just the latest commitment on what has been a big day for the Buffs after four-star running back Dylan Edwards announced his pledge to the program earlier in the day Saturday after backing off a commitment Notre Dame in recent days.
Georgia Tech had been making a big push for the three-star receiver before the Colorado offer arrived. He visited with the Yellow Jackets within the last month, and that had been the other top contender for his commitment. Still, Waseem had a wide range of offers from schools such as Tennessee, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh, Indiana, West Virginia and many others.
With his decision now made, Waseem plans to sign with the Buffs during the early signing period before arriving on campus in January as a midyear enrollee. That will allow him to take part in spring practice and get an early jump on his college career.
With so many new faces expected to join the team this offseason, Waseem sees it as an advantage to be on campus months before many of his classmates.
"One of the benefits is getting up there and working with the coaches so you really have a head start that come in in the summer," he said. "Also, I can get in school and get my classwork done if I'm down there in January. Then, it's really just about getting in the weight room, getting bigger, so the competition dies down."
Sanders' ties to Florida means the Buffs are likely to continue targeting that state heavily moving forward. Florida produces as much talent as any other state in the country, and being a high school player that has helped shape Colorado's newest commit.
"Football in Florida is fast. Everything's fast," he said. "People run the tempo. You got fast receivers, fast DBs. It's really just great competition. The coaches know what they're doing. In my opinion, it's the hardest state to play football in."
The Buffs now have now have 14 commitments in the 2023 class after Waseem's decision, and CU has added four commitments overall since Sanders was named head coach. Offensive lineman Jordan Hall picked CU early in the week and 2025 Winston Watkins announced his pledge to the Buffs around the time Sanders' hiring was announced.