During his first 14 months at Colorado, Coach Prime has adopted a distinctive method when it comes to recruiting. Deion Sanders managed to bring in supremely talented prospects such as offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and cornerback Cormani McClain to the program.
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According to recent reports by USA TODAY Sports’ Brent Schrotenboer, Coach Prime has chosen not to do in-home recruiting visits or even use his $200,000 yearly fund for private air travel, called ‘Wheels Up,’ to meet with potential players. Generally, these visits are essential for head coaches to convince high school prospects to commit.
However, Schrotenboer pointed out two primary reasons why Sanders might have chosen not to travel. Firstly, most of the players he has recruited for Colorado have been from the transfer portal, and secondly, he struggles with physical mobility due to problems with his left foot.
Since, 2021, Deion Sanders has struggled with blood clots in his legs and foot pain, leading to challenges when traveling. Additionally, he relies on transfer players in his recruiting approach, as they may not need as much convincing as high school recruits. Which holds true to some extent.
In contrast, data retrieved by USA TODAY Sports through public records requests show that former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, had 145 interactions off-campus with recruits or their families from December 1, 2022, until he left for an NFL position earlier this year.
Moreover, during that same time frame, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian had a total of 128 off-campus recruiting interactions. Safe to say, Coach Prime’s ability to attract players is truly distinctive, and his unwavering belief in his approach is also a major factor in why players want to be part of Colorado.
Deion Sanders Reveals Desire For Son Shedeur To Play NFL in Warm Climates
Colorado Buffaloes are looking to bounce back in the upcoming season with Coach Prime setting high expectations following a strong beginning in 2023, but a challenging end. Deion’s son, QB Shedeur Sanders, rose as a standout talent in the last season with many wishing to see his display the same at the NFL level. However, Shedeur decided to pass on the chance to join the draft and go back to Boulder in the hopes of improving his draft prospects for 2025.
In an appearance on Christopher Mad Dog Russo’s SiriusXM Radio show, per PFT, Coach Prime voiced out his worries about how players such as Caleb Williams might struggle when moving from warm to cold climates and how this could affect their performance. He further emphasized his unwillingness for his son, Shedeur, to play for teams in colder areas such as Chicago. Deion said:
“Like, I don’t want my kid [Shedeur] going nowhere cold next year. He grew up in Texas. He played in Jackson, played in Colorado. Season’s over before it gets cold in Colorado. I’m just thinking way ahead. I don’t want that for him,”
Deion Sanders, in a way, detailed his strategic mindset towards Shedeur’s football future. Moreover, if that is the case, it certainly narrows down the number of NFL teams that Shedeur is considering for the draft.
That being said, if any of such teams are interested in drafting Shedeur in the 2025 NFL draft, they would have to require complete approval from both, Deion and Shedeur regarding the team’s location and climate.
