College football’s disruptor officially arrived over the weekend.
Somewhere between notifying his Jackson State team — filmed of course and then posted on social media — that he was heading to Colorado and notifying his Colorado team — filmed of course and then posted on social media — that they might want to switch because every type that goes means “the more space you make”.
Deion Sanders has never been one to mince words or be shy about what he believes. The quiet parts aren’t just said out loud; They are said with the flair of a preacher and blown out for all to hear.
As a sport tries to grapple with unprecedented freedom of movement for players via the open transfer portal, a man with zero FBS wins as a head coach is already viewed as its most honest ambassador.
Many trainers complain about the portal, which is expected to be accessed by around 2,500 players to at least supposedly look for greener pastures. Other trainers try to make the most of this, willingly leaving room in recruit classes to plug holes and flip rosters.
Then there’s Coach Prime, who doesn’t apologize for anything. At Jackson State, he once stated, “We live in the portal. We got an apartment in the portal.” Now that he’s in the Pac-12, it’s more the same. Get the program or get out, as he told his new team, who just wrapped up a 1-11 season.
“I’m not going to lie: Some of you sitting in these seats are not going to have room,” Sanders said. “…So I want you all to get ready, jump into this portal and do what you’re going to get.
“…Those of you we’re not running from, we’re going to try and get you to quit… I want those who don’t want to quit, who want to be here, who want to work, who want to win, who are grateful for everything they get here.
“…We’ve already done a few positions,” he said to his new people, “because I’m bringing my luggage and it’s Louis [Vuitton].”
The story goes on
Deion Sanders doesn’t do things like most college coaches, which is why he brings so much excitement to an otherwise unforgettable Colorado program. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Next year, when Sanders begins his first season as Pac-12 head coach, you won’t find any Vuittons on the CU roster, but you will find Prime’s own son, Shedeur, who will likely be the starting quarterback, and likely in both ways sensation Travis Hunter Jr., the former No. 1 overall recruit, and several other standouts to follow from Jackson State.
You might also find 15-20 talented high school recruits that longtime recruiting expert Mike Farrell predicts will instantly catapult the Buffs into a top 25 class. After that it could be half a team of transfers with literally 40-50 people coming from everywhere.
The Colorado roster is being flipped, and while what Sanders said isn’t necessarily groundbreaking — that’s how all new coaches change things — it’s never been said so boldly and publicly.
Coach Prime is 55, but no less confident than he was when he played in the NFL and MLB… at the same time. In 2020, he took over at Jackson State because it was the only place willing to hire him with no head coaching experience — just as his former NFL colleague Jim Harbaugh had to start at San Diego without a scholarship.
Sanders went 27-5, including 12-0 this season, and now he’s in Colorado, the worst Power 5 team in America this year but one Sanders sees as heaven. He referred to the great academics, the beautiful city and the great stadium.
Where others would say CU has outdated facilities compared to palaces across the country, Prime scoffed, accusing his current team of not being thankful.
“We’ve never had anything from [the] Kind of training, training,” he said of his situation at Jackson State. “Our children [at JSU] would go absolutely insane to be in the situation you are in but you don’t respect it.
Some balked at Sanders’ talk. Others were surprised when he pumped out videos for all to see, or edited additional ones imploring potential transfers and recruits to come forward.
The thing is, he’s found his audience. Sources say more than 200 potential transfers have already made contact, a number that’s growing by the hour. A top 20 prospect from the Class of 2025 has already verbally accepted despite offers from Alabama, Georgia and others.
A Pac-12 assistant, remotely watching the excitement at a long-dying program, surmised that “half our list would probably leave if Deion reached out to them.”
It’s clear that players love him, are attracted to him and want to be around him.
It’s not just those videos and those messages that they’ve seen. It’s the others, including Hunter, who hugs and cries in his coach’s arms before his first game. Or the time when Hunter, a teammate, and Sanders discussed Hunter’s apparent strong loyalty to his girlfriend, with Prime jokingly accusing his newbie of secretly getting married and offering to write the marriage contract.
“He just connects with kids in a way that other coaches just can’t,” said Adam Gorney, national recruiting analyst at Rivals.
This is a coach like no other who communicates like no other. His immediate challenge will not be attracting talent, but sorting through the growing mountain of talent and selecting the right ones.
The way the sport is played is changing rapidly. How many games Sanders will win in Colorado remains to be seen, especially in 2023. The Buffaloes have had a successful season since 2005 (outside of the COVID-19-cut 2020 schedule). Nobody should expect a miracle.
However, Sanders already had a major recruiting win when he got 36-year-old Sean Lewis to quit as Kent State head coach to become offensive coordinator at CU. That means a fast, high-octane attack is imminent.
It’s been two days, but something new is happening here. A change agent, a disruptor, a coach positioned to capitalize on a new era is in place.
Deion Sanders will tell you that he didn’t come to Colorado “to just show up, he came to show himself.” That starts in the fall, but for now, the rest of the sport is watching in awe.
It’s prime time in Colorado, where suddenly everything is different and everything seems possible.