BOULDER, Colorado — Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders proudly recited the numbers from his first recruiting class in Colorado.
Two five star recruits. A 23rd place overall, the highest in 15 years, he pointed out as he began to transform his team in the transfer portal.
Then a quick reminder: He’s not done collecting talents yet. Not for a long time. This is only a short break, he teased, with the possibility of more experienced players arriving sometime after spring.
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It took Sanders less than two months at Boulder to not just revamp a seedy program, but give a starving fan base something else: hope.
“We’re not just recruiting just random Tom, Dick and Harry,” Sanders said Wednesday on the day of the signing. “We recruited some people who can light up the scoreboard and prevent touchdowns. We come. We’re serious.
“Hope is in the home. Hope is in the air. Hope is in the city. Hope is in the community.”
Sanders and his experienced staff were busy scouting the nation for talent. The Hall of Fame NFL player then known as “Prime Time” posted Social media for recruits to reach him as well: “I’m not hard to find.”
The Buffaloes signed players from 16 states and two from England. Not only that, they brought in a pair of five-star recruits in high school cornerback Cormani McClain and transfer cornerback/receiver Travis Hunter, who was following Sanders from Jackson State.
A total of around 35 newcomers are in the spring line-up. Maybe that’s why Sanders didn’t really want to address each of them by name.
“We’ve got names on the back of their shirts now,” cracked Sanders, who begins spring training March 19 with intrasquad play scheduled for April 22. “I don’t know every kid. I’m not disrespectful. I’m just being honest.”
It’s only natural considering he completely overhauled the roster from a team that went 1-11 last season. The class has four players from Georgia and seven from Sanders’ home state of Florida. There are eight defenders, which will come in handy given the level of quarterback play in the Pac-12.
Additionally, Sanders brought on eight wide receivers, including Adam Hopkins, a four-star recruit from Georgia. There’s also running back Dylan Edwards, who signed after making a verbal commitment to Notre Dame.
Of course, don’t forget about this transfer quarterback named Shedeur Sanders, who happens to be the son of “Coach Prime” and threw 70 TD passes in two seasons at Jackson State.
Deion Sanders said he’s also just warming up.
“That’s just a comma because there are a lot of people who are going to bungee jump into the portal after spring because they’re going to be disappointed with the playtime, the engagement, or the level of involvement they’re garnishing,” said Sanders. “We will take full advantage of that. So we’re not done yet. That’s just the comma for spring. But I love where we are and what we have.”
It wasn’t long before Sanders took up residence in the town of Boulder, calling it a “hidden gem.” He can’t wait to move into a house and “let a dog run around in the yard.” Even the snow that blanketed Folsom Field on Wednesday doesn’t bother him. In all honesty, he said he wasn’t sure why a player would want to go anywhere else.
“We’re assuming we’re going to get the kid,” Sanders said. “The only thing that can stop this kid from coming down and signing with us is a bag – someone paying them, the collectives or whatever. That’s it. Just beat the coverage. That’s it.
“Because the coaching staff, the atmosphere, the city, the public, the structure, the discipline, the academics, the graduation rate, the food in the cafeteria — I can keep going because this thing is going to be good. Just everything. It’s hard to say no. It really is.”
Listening was athletic director Rick George, who appreciated the tone of what he was hearing. Sanders quickly created the framework for a quick turnaround.
“He brought a lot of energy and passion back to this program,” said George. “We urgently needed that.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.