Cherry Creek's Jaxson Flores gains momentum with South Dakota, Northern Arizona offers

Jaxson Flores is the kind of recruit Northern Arizona can sell as more than a cornerback or a receiver. The Cherry Creek athlete has offers from South Dakota and NAU, and his visit to Flagstaff put a spotlight on a 2027 prospect whose production shows up in every phase of the game.

Flores, listed by 247Sports at 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, transferred to Cherry Creek from Grandview in January after a 2025 season that made him one of Colorado’s more recognizable two-way players. Prep Redzone listed him at 6-foot-0, 180 pounds and logged 49 catches for 680 yards and five touchdowns on offense, along with 42 tackles, four interceptions and four pass breakups on defense. At Grandview, he also earned first-team all-league honors on both sides of the ball and was named Centennial Athlete of the Year.

The volume of his production helped separate him from a typical recruiting profile. Centennial League coverage had Flores sharing the league’s Most Valuable Athlete honor for the 2025 football season, a nod to the kind of impact that does not live in one position room. Flores said injuries on offense pushed him into an even larger role, and he answered by becoming a first-team wide receiver and safety while helping his team reach the playoffs.

The family story only adds to the appeal. Utah State’s roster bio for Brody Flores, Jaxson’s older brother, identifies him as a freshman outside linebacker from Aurora, Colorado, and says he enrolled for spring 2026 after arriving as a three-star recruit and the 16th-best prospect in Colorado by 247Sports. The Aggies list Brody Flores with 111 tackles, 12 sacks and 26 tackles for loss as a senior at Grandview. Utah State also lists cousins Teitum Tuioti at Oregon, Manu Tuioti at Boise State, Teivis Tuioti at San Diego State and Teilor Tuioti at Idaho State.

That pedigree matters in a recruiting battle where versatility is the selling point. NAU hired Trenton Greene in January 2026 as its defensive coordinator and safeties coach, and Flores said Greene liked his ball skills, his ability to create turnovers and his command of the defense. Greene came to Flagstaff after helping Montana State win its first national championship since 1984, and NAU has used Brian Wright’s early success, back-to-back winning seasons, 15 wins over two years and a 2025 finish of 7-5 with a peak No. 13 ranking to show that the program is rising.

For Flores, the pitch is clear: a school in the Big Sky that sees him as a safety, corner, slot defender and returner, all while leaning on a family connection through his cousin Noah, already a freshman at NAU. If the Lumberjacks land him, they do more than add another Colorado recruit. They add a player built to change games in multiple phases.