The college basketball season just started for the Colorado Buffaloes this past Monday with them getting a win over UC Riverside, but head coach Tad Boyle is already making a huge splash for next year.

Gilbert Arizona’s Cody Williams, brother of the Thunder’s Jalen Williams, has committed to the University of Colorado over Arizona, USC, LSU, LMU, Santa Clara and others. The 6-foot-8 class of 2023 small forward is a consensus five-star prospect.

Tad Boyle has landed the first five-star recruit of his tenure at Colorado. LFG. Roll damn Tad! pic.twitter.com/ceDJhfYY2b

— Chase Howell (@chasehowell__) November 9, 2022

Williams is the Buffs’ highest-ranked recruit in the modern recruiting era. Williams ranks as the No. 21 overall prospect in his class by 247Sports, while ESPN says he’s the 14th best player coming out of high school this spring.

Williams told 24/7 Sports that he chose Boyle’s Buffs because how much the head coach believes in him.

“Then the school from the playing style, to the teachers to the strength program that I just fell in love with, that’s kind of what led me to the decision.”

“For me the only thing I was looking at was the best fit for me and what was going to help me reach my goals,” said Williams. “The name, the NIL, all of that stuff is cool but at the end of the day if I pick the right school and do what I’m supposed to do then God willing I will be making 10x more than I would from NIL at any school. So it was about putting all the fancy stuff, the glitz and glamour aside and getting into the nitty gritty about what was the best for me.”

5⭐️ Cody Williams just committed to Colorado‼️🚨 @slam_university pic.twitter.com/zDgBh96FFg

— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) November 9, 2022

Five of the top 10 recruits in the history of CU Men’s Basketball are expected to be on the roster next season—none of those players will be seniors.

Williams is so highly-touted in fact, that he’s the best player to come to Boulder since Denver’s own Chauncey Billups chose the black and gold.

Five-star wing Cody Williams has committed to Colorado, becoming the Buffaloes’ first five-star recruit since the ESPN recruiting database began in 2007. Also the first five-star of the Tad Boyle era. Huge pickup for Colorado. One of the highest ceilings in the 2023 class.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) November 9, 2022

 

He is Colorado’s second commitment for next season, joining three-star guard Courtney Anderson.

#BuildTheStatue pic.twitter.com/XpeFPw8fO6

— Mateo Martinez (@mateomuhammad) November 9, 2022

***