Colorado loses out on No. 1 in-state prospect to Big Ten program

Colorado's push to lock down the top in-state prospect came to a screeching halt on Friday when four-star interior offensive lineman Jackson Roper announced his commitment to UCLA.

Roper chose the Bruins over the Buffaloes and several other schools, including Michigan, Ohio State, Texas A&M and Auburn. Deion Sanders and Colorado have seemingly taken an increased interest in recruiting Colorado high schoolers, but that did not result in landing Roper.

Roper isn't just another name; he is the top prospect in Colorado, a top-165 recruit and the No. 12 interior lineman in the country. Landing him would have signaled a true change in direction for a CU program that has largely ignored in-state recruiting since Sanders took over. Instead, he is heading to Westwood.

When discussing his commitment with 247Sports, Roper cited relationships as the deciding factor.

"UCLA, from day one, has made me feel like part of the family," Roper said. "My father has always said, 'Go where you're really wanted adn you'll never be wrong.' UCLA made it almost impossible to say no."

Roper's upcoming visit to Boulder on May 15 is, in all likelihood, canceled, but in the fickle recruiting world, you can never take anything for certain until signing day.

While Colorado does not have to land every in-state recruit, grabbing most of the top five each year would seem to be the prudent thing to do as the state's flagship football program.

Colorado currently has three 2027 commits, and none are offensive linemen.

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