As the Colorado Buffaloes begin preparations for the upcoming 2023 college football season, it’s first under Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the college football world wants to know what type of expectations Coach Prime is setting in year one.
Since his arrival in December, Sanders has seen over 50 players enter the transfer portal, but don’t fret, as the walking sound bite himself was able to reel in 48 new transfers to Boulder, including one former five-star (Travis Hunter) and seven former four-stars, including his son Shedeur, who’s set to be Colorado’s starting quarterback.
Late last week Coach Prime’s middle son, Shilo, also committed to and transferred to Colorado following graduating from Jackson State.
Deion Sanders Not Making Any Win Predictions
In December, Deion said he was bringing in luggage, and it was of the Louis Vuitton variety.
While Sanders didn’t predict a win total in his response to the question, he did say his Buffaloes will exceed expectations, and that’s where he left it.
In essence, it’s probably a smart way to instill confidence in his team while not putting added pressure on them.
Sanders told reporters this during his first weekly presser with some of the new team together for the first time.
“I don’t know,” Sanders said. “I can’t give you that. If I give you that, it’s going to go viral. You gotta understand when I talk, it’s going viral. We’re going to exceed your expectations. And I can guarantee you when you plays us, you’re going to know you played against us. You’re going to know that.
“You’re going to feel it, you’re going to feel it. I cannot wait till you see. Everybody makes a big deal of what’s not here, but you need to make a big deal of what’s coming. Because what is coming is far greater than what’s gone.”
Sanders Will Improve On 2022 One-Win Season
The main reason why Sanders is here and not at Jackson State, where he won back-to-back SWAC championships and led the Tigers to back-to-back Celebration Bowl appearances, is the Buffaloes won only one game last season, and just four in 2021.
That all-time ineptitude and the embarrassment of being a basement dweller is what led the Buffaloes brass to put the full court press on Sanders, in an effort to restore some of the glory of yesteryear in Boulder.
All Deion has to do is win two games to double the output from last season. But if you know the bravado and swag Coach Prime leads with, that won’t suffice, so expect much more than that in year one.
Sanders Said Winning Football Games Isn’t Only Goal
Following last month’s spring game, which was a sellout, Sanders spoke about what he believes he was chosen to do at Colorado. During his postgame presser Sanders mentioned things that were football-related, but it wasn’t all about what happens on the field.
“It’s not just about football. It’s about bringing people together, it’s about uniting people,” Sanders said. “All ethnicities, all social climates. It’s not just about football. People get so caught up in W’s and L’s. We’re gong to win some games. But we’ve got to make sure these kids are winners on and off the field and amongst the community. I don’t care what ethnicity you are. We just want to bring people together and give them hope.”
Sanders is already giving the people of Boulder hope, and that’s what he set out to do. That will only continue to grow as the Buffaloes football program takes the field against national runner-up TCU to begin the season.
Then it’s an old Big Eight showdown with Nebraska in Week 2.
