Coach Prime is completely overhauling his roster and being very honest about it, but some see a problem in the high transfer numbers
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has initiated a significant roster turnover since taking over the program. Despite the high number of players entering the transfer portal, Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George, publicly defended Sanders, stating that he has been open and honest about his approach to building a winning team at Colorado.
“He’s been very honest and forthright. He’s been very open about it publicly and privately. He’s trying to build a winner at Colorado, and this is his way to do it.” George Said.
Sanders has been upfront about encouraging players to transfer, even stating in his first team meeting that he would be bringing in his own recruits. Since his arrival, a staggering 57 Colorado players have entered the transfer portal, bringing the total number of departures since August to 71. In April alone, 18 players entered the portal, including wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, who had a standout performance in the spring game.
Players Have Felt the Process was Unfair
Some of the players were open to comment about the process and they don’t think it went as honestly or as smoothly as some have stated publicly.
“None of the new coaches would talk to the old players and treat us the same as the people they brought in. The new guys wouldn’t be picked on as much in film. Coaches would tell them to just do better, but if it was an old player, they’d keep going off on what you did wrong and keep yelling about it.” – Freshman TE Zach Courtney
It appears that some players, such as freshman tackle Travis Gray, had a different experience in their one-on-one meetings with Deion Sanders. According to Gray, Sanders informed him that he was being cut from the team during a meeting that was originally scheduled for Monday but was moved up to Sunday, which was Sanders’ day off. This indicates that Sanders made the decision to release Gray earlier than anticipated and communicated it to him personally.
“I was like, ‘Oh, God.’ I saw the mean mug in (Sanders’) face,” Gray said. “He told me, ‘You’re 6-foot-8, 320 pounds. I know in my heart of hearts a school is going to pick you up in the portal when you enter. Make your weaknesses your strengths and keep progressing. I hope you have a great future, it just won’t be here at the University of Colorado.'”
Could This Impact Other Programs After New Coaching Hires?
While the level of roster turnover is unprecedented, George insists that Sanders is not the first coach to encourage transfers, but rather the first to publicly state it. The Buffaloes’ roster changes have garnered attention across college football, with speculation about the potential impact it may have on future roster management at other programs. An anonymous staffer in the Big 12 said that the result of Colorado’s turnover may impact other programs with new coaching hires in the near future.
“What we know is all eyes across all of college football are gonna be on Colorado. It will impact the future of college football markedly for the next generation, one way or another,” the staffer said.
As Colorado prepares for its first game in September, all eyes will be on star players Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, while the rest of the roster remains in flux, aligning with George’s vision for the team’s rebuilding process.
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