Deion Sanders is yet to make some big wins in the 2027 recruiting cycle. He’s faced some bad rap when it comes to high school recruitment in general, but this time, he might be in for a big loss. One of Colorado’s own might be attracted to a powerhouse program down south. And to make matters worse, this is a legacy recruit for the Buffs.

Valor Christian High School’s interior offensive lineman, Reis Russell, is surveying his interests before he makes a decision on where he’ll play for his collegiate career. Colorado seemed to have an edge with the 3-star IOL because his father, Matt Russell, also played for Colorado. He’d won the Butkus Award and is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. But Kirby Smart and Georgia are planning to steal Reis away from Boulder. 

“There’s a lot to like about this young Colorado IOL,” DawgNation posted. “Not to mention the fact he’s known Coach Rauscher for more than 10 years.”

Georgia OL coach Phil Rauscher has been shaking things up in offensive recruiting as of late. He made the trip to Colorado and sat down with the Russells. There’s an overlap with his father as well, as both Rauscher and his father crossed paths when they were working at the Denver Broncos. That familiarity is the pull here. 


“It’s been awesome knowing him,” Reis Russell said. “I’ve known him for a while. I met him when I was probably in about the third grade… That’s a big part of why I think Georgia would be such a great place. That’s a big connection. We’ve known him for a long time, and it is really awesome now.”

The 295 lb prospect will make the trip to Athens this weekend, on April 17. He has been coming up on the radar of a lot of P4 programs now, and was “fired up” when “powerhouse” Georgia made him an offer. The Bulldogs seem to be on a roll here, because Georgia has three offensive linemen committed in its 2027 class already.

Interestingly, Russell trains Six Zero Sixty, a facility run by Matt MacChesney, a former Colorado icon. It is where Colorado’s best OL prospects train, and Russell has said that it’s not easy to stand out there. This should have given Deion Sanders and Co. an even bigger edge. But Colorado is nowhere in his interests. So far, he has scheduled OVs to Miami, Georgia, Washington, and USC.

It looks like Russell might eventually find himself in the balmy South at the end.

The Trojans are also making a mark on Reis Russell

When it comes to his decision, Reis Russell made it clear that it’s not location nor even legacy.

“Within the schools I am looking at, we’re looking West Coast all the way down to the SEC,” he said. “Down to Miami. I’m really open to any place. That’s really important to me. I’m playing ball. I’m not there to be out in the city doing whatever… Location is not really a factor. It really comes down to relationships with the coaching staff.”

USC is also gaining in this race. Russell has already been to Los Angeles for a visit, and was really impressed by what he saw. The Trojans had a great O-line show last year, which might be moving the needle for the Colorado OL. Also, he already has a connection with tight end Mark Bowman, and OL Breck Kolojay. They are both Colorado natives; Kolojay also used to train with him at Six Zero Strength! To further complicate things for Deion Sanders, they are making a good pitch to Reis Russell.

“They haven’t had anything to complain about, which is really cool to see,” he told Sports Illustrated. “They really up love it up there. They love the coaching staff, they love LA and so far it seems like they love everything about the school, the academics. The message from them has been great.”

Colorado seems to be in some tough luck when it comes to retaining quality offensive linemen. In the transfer portal this year, Sanders saw Jordan Seaton leave for the starry LSU Tigers. Now, it looks like Reis Russell is also slipping away.

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