The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders just created a rare Central Coast of California following. First the Buffaloes landed prized junior college defensive tackle Malachi Brown in May 2026 via Monterey Peninsula College, and the 6-5, 300-pound interior defender now will be joined by a prized defensive teammate of his. Colorado Lands Drew MolinariColorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the North Dakota State Bison at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn ImagesThis time Sanders and Colorado are adding versatile defensive back help.Safety/nickelback Drew Molinari of Monterey Peninsula College shut his recruitment down and chose the Buffaloes. The Salinas, California native announced his decision in the early afternoon of July 18 via social media: "Buff nation! Let's do it," Molinari wrote.Committed! Buff Nation let’s do it!! #upthesko🦬 @DeionSanders @CUBuffsFootball @MPCLoboFootball @CoachGallegos83 @CodyOleski @BrandonHuffman @JUCOFFrenzy pic.twitter.com/FtpDV0h0KK— Drew Molinari (@DrewMolinari) July 18, 2026The Big 12 Conference university first landed on Colorado's recruiting radar in June. Molinari cited Coach Prime himself as the man who formally offered him the scholarship. Molinari was a December of 2025 JUCO grad who was still searching for his next collegiate stop. He reeled in six total NCAA Division I offers but mostly heard from Football Bowl Championship (FCS) schools. Western Illinois represented one of his more recent offers before the Buffaloes came through with their opportunity. He previously starred for Palma High School in Salinas, which is a known breeder of collegiate level football talent. Palma produced four-star wide receiver Logan Saldate, who signed with Notre Dame in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Closer Look at Colorado's JUCO Representation Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectBrown and Molinari played for a state JUCO powerhouse near the Bay Area of California. But they're not the only junior college representation here. Sanders and his coaching staff started looking more closely at JUCO talents in the last few recruiting cycles. Colorado eventually landed one of the top edge rushers in the 2026 class. Domata Peko Jr. arrived via Ventura College, where he became the state's No. 1 edge rush prospect. Peko Jr. is the son of former Colorado defensive line coach and 15-year NFL veteran Domata Peko. Colorado even boasts New Mexico Military Institute talents on the defensive side. Linebacker Tyler Martinez and transfer edge rusher Vili Taufatofua are past NMMI players, though the latter previously played for San Jose State. Long snapper Trey Young played his JUCO ball at Saddleback College in California's Orange County. Offensive lineman Larry Johnson III comes with his own JC past, but he played at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Fellow offensive lineman Jayven Richardson is another Hutchinson grad. How Drew Molinari fits at Colorado Sep 14, 2024; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes cornerback DJ McKinney (8) during pregame warmups at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConnectSanders brings in an increasingly growing cerebral defender on the backend. Molinari identified where an intermediate throw was heading and beat the wide receiver to the football. But Colorado adds one more needed element via Molinari: a deep coverage safety. Molinari's strength is disrupting the long ball, which will come in handy against Air Raid teams like Texas Tech or Houston during conference play. Molinari brings one more big trait over to Boulder: the recruits who became underlooked on the trail. Molinari, again, didn't land many big offers. He'll fit right in with a bunch of transfers and recruits who didn't receive much love on the trail either like edge rusher Toby Anene (North Dakota State transfer) and running back Jaquail Smith (Sacramento State transfer). Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow