"Crash and burn": Deion Sanders' transfer portal tactics draw ire from college coaches
Deion Sanders was named the coach of the Colorado Buffaloes after a successful stint with the Jackson State Tigers. The Buffaloes were just 1-11 in 2022, finishing tied for the worst record in college football. Immediately upon his arrival, the Pro and College Football Hall of Famer made it clear that changes were on the horizon.
Sanders has kept his promise as Colorado's transfer class ranks first in the nation while their overall recruiting class ranks 21st, according to 247Sports. Since accepting the coaching position in December 2022, he has revamped the program, bringing in 72 total players despite getting a late start in recruiting. 51 of those players have come via the transfer portal. There are just 10 scholarship players from last year's roster that remain with the Buffaloes.
Sanders' utilization of the transfer portal has reportedly irritated some college coaches. Speaking on his podcast Late Kick Live, Josh Pate of 247Sports stated:
"It would also make a lot of college football rethink their theories and philosophies behind team building... A lot of coaches don't think this is going to work."
Pate continued:
"A lot of coaches are looking at - I'm not going to say they are rooting for it to crash and burn, although I think some of them are rooting for it to crash and burn - but at the very least a lot of them are skeptically looking at Boulder, Colorado saying "there's no way that's going to work."
Check out Josh Pate's comments on Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes below (starting at the 13:50 mark):
While there is plenty of hype surrounding Deion Sanders' arrival in Colorado, it will take a lot of work to turn the program around. Despite never coaching an FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) game, it seems that plenty of coaches are already rooting for his downfall.
Can Deion Sanders turn the Colorado Buffaloes around?
Deion Sanders has shown that he has the ability to recruit the best players in college football. Despite getting a late start, he landed 21 high school prospects and 51 transfer players.
While leading the Jackson State Tigers, Sanders landed Travis Hunter, the top overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. The cornerback will follow him to Colorado and be joined by Cormani McClain, the top cornerback prospect in the 2023 recruiting class.
Although it will be difficult to turn things around in just one offseason, Sanders is off to a great start. If he continues to recruit at the level that he has thus far, it is not hard to imagine the Buffaloes becoming a legitimate threat in the Pac-12 over the next few seasons.