Deion Sanders being more hands-on following Colorado's 3-9 season
The Colorado Buffaloes , under fourth-year head coach Deion Sanders, are in the midst of a pivotal offseason. After a 3-9 season, changes are needed, and coaching changes are an easy fix. The Buffs, with Sanders leading the charge, are completely changing the way they evaluate talent.
On the Morning Run podcast on Wednesday, Sanders discussed the now 16-player-deep transfer portal class, which is nowhere close to being completed, and, most notably, how he has altered his operation.
Coach Prime is changing his play evaluation strategy
"I'm hands-on with everything right now," Sanders said . "Every kid I've watched on tape, and I've picked him to come in."
It's unclear whether this new version of Coach Prime is a result of his taking more initiative after a disappointing 2025 season or simply because he is more present now that he is cancer-free. Either way, it should be a welcome sight for Buffs fans seeking a clearer direction and strategy for building the roster.
The portal strategy is different, and it's a clear plan
When asked for more details about the current transfer class, Sanders made it clear that the players CU is recruiting are not coming to Boulder for the money, but to take the next step in their careers and prepare for the NFL.
"They ain't here about a bag," Sanders explained. "They're here about playing the game of football at its highest level and they know what comes with that."
What Sanders is saying aligns with all 16 transfers so far being from Group of Six or FCS programs, offering them a chance to play at a higher level. Nearly half of those players are also former All-Conference performers.
Coach Prime hints at more players from a particular Group of Six program
Colorado has added one player from Tulane (DT Santana Hopper) and two from James Madison (CB Justin Eaglin and EDGE Immanuel Ezeogu). You could make the case that Hopper or Eaglin is the top player the Buffs have added so far.
When asked about those two players, Sanders dropped a major hint that the Buffaloes will add more players from one of them.
"We just got started with one of those schools," Sanders said. "Just trust me."
Whether it's Tulane or James Madison, who are both under new leadership, Sanders and Colorado are not done adding.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Deion Sanders changes Colorado football transfer strategy
