Deion Sanders reaffirms approach at Colorado: 'We kind of know what we’re doing'

Coach Prime and the Buffs take steps forward with an unconventional approach

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Colorado's resurgence in the Big 12 has been a storyline all season, yet Deion Sanders remains steady in his recruiting approach. Despite the program's success, Sanders insists that his strategy has not changed. However, he does acknowledge that winning enhances Colorado's appeal to potential recruits.

From the beginning, Sanders has emphasized a calculated step-by-step process to building the program, drawing on his experience coaching at various levels. He reflected on his ability to build teams from scratch, starting "in the hood in Dallas." His track record speaks for itself, and now, Colorado's success is further proof of his methods. Sanders told reporters this week, “Winning does help with recruiting. People want to join something that’s successful."

Rather than focusing solely on high school recruits, Sanders prefers a more tailored blend of talent. He questions the logic of recruiting a large number of high school players who may not contribute immediately. That's not the case at Colorado. "You can’t measure us by how many we pull out of high school," Sanders said. "Why would you pull 30 kids out of high school when 30 kids are not going to play? I know last year, we may have played the most freshmen."

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Instead, Sanders has found the right balance between high school talent, junior college transfers, and transfer portal acquisitions. This approach has helped Colorado blend youth and experience effectively. "We kind of know what we’re doing," Sanders said. "I know it didn’t seem like we did early on, but we’ve been doing this for a while."

Sanders' truth shows on the field, with the Buffaloes having to overcome numerous challenges, including injuries to key players like Jimmy Horn Jr. and two-way star Travis Hunter, who is also a Heisman contender. Despite these setbacks, Colorado continues to thrive with a "Next man up" mentality, and thanks in large part to the stellar play of Shedeur Sanders. The quarterback ranks fourth nationally in completion percentage and 16th in passer rating, keeping the offense competitive even as the offensive line struggles.

Though Colorado's offensive line remains somewhat of a weak spot, the team's run game has shown improvement, gaining at least 90 rushing yards in four of the last five games. As the Buffaloes prepare for their matchup against Cincinnati, they are poised to continue their winning ways, with a bowl game appearance looking increasingly likely.