Jordan Seaton kept college football fans on edge for a couple of days, but the top-rated offensive lineman in high school football is coming to Boulder.
On Friday afternoon, Seaton, a five-star recruit from IMG Academy in Florida, posted a video on Instagram where he was shopping with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. In the video, someone says to Seaton, “Congrats on signing with Colorado.”
Seaton then looked into the camera and said, “Letap go. Sko Buffs. We coming.”
With the post, Seaton wrote, “Enough been said Letap Make History.”
A few minutes later, he posted on Twitter, “Itap Official!” with a buffalo emoji.
Late Friday afternoon, CU officially announced that Seaton signed his national letter of intent, joining Colorado’s 2024 recruiting class and ending a saga that drew national attention.
Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 lineman in the country for the 2024 class, the 6-foot-5, 287-pound Seaton originally committed to CU on Dec. 7, and he did it in style.
Seaton made his Dec. 7 announcement on Fox Sports’ talk show Undisputed with Skip Bayless and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin, who is a close friend of CU head coach Deion Sanders. That day, he also appeared in studio for the Rich Eisen Show. Eisen is another close friend of Sanders.
This week, however, has been a whirlwind of rumors surrounding Seaton, who chose not to sign his letter of intent on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. Friday was the last day of the early signing period.
Seaton kept fans waiting throughout most of Friday, too, although plenty of clues were given that he would indeed sign with Colorado.
Early on Friday, Deion Sanders Jr., who chronicles his father’s team through his YouTube channel, Well Off Media, posted a video on social media with him driving in a car with Seaton.
On Friday afternoon, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith posted a , asking the Buffs’ head coach about Seaton.
“The big fella, man. I call him Big Time. Thatap his new nickname,” Coach Prime said to Smith. “He knows how to articulate himself. He knows what he wants, but he’s willing to work to go get it and he challenges guys all day long. He would get on the phone and call another lineman, ‘Hey man, you coming or not, because we ain’t got time for that. What you gonna do?’
“This kid practices his butt off; thatap what we glean. But he’s a man, man. I mean he comes from tough beginnings. … This kid is a pro, mentally and physically right now. He just has to put it on grass. I love everything about this kid and who he is gonna become. I promise you this kid is gonna be first-rounder, if not the top five pick.”
Seaton, who played his senior year at IMG Academy but is from the Washington, D.C., area, reportedly took a visit to Maryland last weekend. By Wednesday afternoon, 247Sports had shifted its “crystal ball prediction,” projecting Seaton would sign with the Terrapins.
One of only 36 five-star recruits in the 2024 class, per 247Sports, Seaton had 33 scholarship offers, with most of the elite programs pursing him. He also had Alabama, Florida, Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee among the top teams he was considering.
In the end, Seaton stuck to what he said on Undisputed earlier this month.
“You gotta believe in Coach Prime,” Seaton said. “Having the opportunity to play with somebody who has done it at the highest level, gold jacket level, very few can say they did that. I’ve got two Heisman Trophy candidates – Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. They’re amazing. You know how they go.”
Deion Sanders has prioritized the offensive line this offseason after that group had a dismal 2023 season. The Buffs allowed a school-record 56 sacks and finished this season as the lowest-ranked rushing offense in the country.
Shedeur Sanders was the most-sacked quarterback in the country, taken down 52 times — 13 more than any other quarterback in CU history.
“That will never happen again,” Seaton said on Undisputed.
According to the 247Sports database, which goes back to 2000, Seaton is the third-highest rated player to sign with CU out of high school in the last 25 years and just the fifth five-star recruit.
Only running backs Darrell Scott (class of 2008, .9980 rating) and Marcus Houston (2000, .9980) had higher ratings than Seaton (.9957). Cornerback Cormani McClain (2023) and lineman Ryan Miller (2007) are the only other five stars signed by CU.
Seaton will join a group of offensive linemen that includes five transfers, all of whom were starters this past season at their previous schools: Kahlil Benson (Indiana), Phillip Houston (Florida International), Tyler Johnson (Houston), Justin Mayers (UTEP) and Yakiri Walker (Connecticut).
Notable
Seaton’s IMG teammate, Cash Cleveland, announced his commitment to CU on Friday. Cleveland, IMG’s starting center, will come to CU as a preferred walk-on. … Earlier this week, Buffs offensive lineman Jeremiah McCrimmon put his name in the transfer portal. McCrimmon joined CU last year from Coahoma (Miss.) Community College and did not appear in any games with the Buffs.
