The Colorado Buffaloes under first-year head coach and Pro Football shall of Famer Deion Sanders have seen pretty high roster turnover since he arrived in December. As of Thursday, the Buffaloes had 23 players enter the transfer portal, and another 25 transfers have joined the Buffaloes program.
Record Turnout For Spring Game
On Saturday the country got its first look at Coach Prime’s squad with their annual spring game, which was aired by ESPN.
A record 47,277 Buffaloes fans braved the elements to see Coach Prime lead his guys for the first time, and they didn’t disappoint.
Sanders is of the belief that change is good, and he even told his players at the first team meeting that many of them should enter the transfer portal. He also said this about what he expects as it pertains to a culture change and different mindset.
“Hope is in the house,” Sanders said earlier his offseason. “Hope is in the air. Hope is in the city. Hope is in the community.”
That hope is what Sanders is using to rebuild a program that’s gone 5-19 the last two seasons including a putrid 1-11 in 2022. And if Saturday was any indication the Boulder faithful are on board.
Sanders Has A 1-11 Team Optimistic For Turnaround
Sanders also mentioned that players take themselves out of the program if they can’t do what’s asked or expected.
“We don’t weed anyone out. They weed themselves out.”
Spring Game Was Audition For Players
Sanders was upfront about how he planned to use Saturday’s game as a preseason dress rehearsal of sorts, and he pretty much did that. In an effort to give his receivers and cornerbacks some bump against one another, Sanders mixed in some seven-on-seven components.
That part was also what you see everyday in Buffaloes practice. In those matchups quarterback Shedeur Sanders went 16-19 for 219 and two touchdowns, including a 98-yarder to wideout Montana Lemonious-Craig.
Saturday’s play coincided with Sanders’ message for his current team, and how he expects them to look come opening day in September.
“The team that we’re playing with now is not the team thag we’re going to play with in Texas first game,” Sanders told his last week.
“Do I need to say any more? It’s gonna be a lot of new faces, a lot of new strip, a lot of new understandings and a lot of new wants and desires and you’ve got to have it.”
Big Recruiting Weekend Came And Went
For Coach Prime and the Buffaloes, this weekend’s game was also a huge recruiting event, and a ton of top talent made the trek to snowy and windy Boulder.
Getting them there was half of the job, the real challenge is getting some of them to sign with the program. Saturday’s game will go a long way to securing some of that elite talent.
You’re guaranteed to get publicity when you play for Coach Prime, so that’s what every NFL hopeful dreams of when entering college.
