In a bold and unprecedented move, Deion Sanders, the Pro Football Hall of Famer turned college head coach, has spearheaded a massive overhaul of the Colorado Buffaloes football roster, resulting in a historic transformation never quite seen before.
More than 50 players from last year’s struggling team have entered the transfer portal since Sanders took the reins in December 2022, leaving behind a mere 10 scholarship athletes who were part of the lackluster 2022 roster that ended the season with a disappointing 1-11 record.
Sanders’ decisive actions have not gone unnoticed within the college football community.
Notable coaches, such as Oklahoma’s Brent Venables and Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi, have openly expressed criticism of Sanders’ unconventional roster management strategy.
Nevertheless, Sanders remains resolute in his belief that the drastic changes were both challenging and necessary to reinvigorate the culture within the program.
During a recent press conference, Sanders candidly addressed the transformation, stating: “It was tremendously tough, because you had some young men that just didn’t want to play the game. They didn’t love football. It’s hard for me to be effective [as a coach] if you don’t love [football], if you don’t like it, if you don’t want to live it. That’s tough.”
“That’s tremendously tough when you’re looking at a body of just dead eyes. That’s tough on any coach, and not just me. I’m pretty sure a multitude of coaches have experienced that until they could clean house and get the roster they wanted. It was tremendously challenging day-by-day. But I’m happy with what I see every morning now. I really am.”
Despite the challenges, Sanders’ decisive approach has yielded significant results. He managed to assemble the #1 transfer portal class in the 2023 recruiting cycle, a testament to his ability to attract top-tier talent to Colorado.
This impressive class includes versatile standout Travis Hunter, a former top prospect who followed Sanders from Jackson State to Colorado.
When questioned about the evolving team dynamics, Sanders emphasized: “The [players] are fond of one another and they are working together handsomely. I know it was a huge overhaul [of our roster], but it had to be done.”
As the Buffaloes gear up for their final year in the Pac-12 before making a triumphant return to the Big 12 in 2024, there’s a sense of anticipation surrounding the program.
Since their last winning season in 2016, when the Buffaloes clinched 10 victories and contended for a Pac-12 title, the program has been yearning for a resurgence.
They won’t have to wait much longer to be in the national spotlight as their season-opener against national title runners-up TCU will be the featured game on FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff.
How do you think Prime will do at Colorado?
Do you think he’s using the Buffaloes as a stepping-stone towards a bigger program?
Or do you think he’s in it at Colorado for the long-haul?
Regardless, it will probably take a few years before Colorado can truly compete with the big-boys on a consistent level – and even that might be wishful thinking.