Deion Sanders is always protective when his Buffaloes are under scanner. The same scenario occurred in the recently held Spring Press Conference when a reporter asked him about the transfer portal issue with the Buffaloes. Deion addressed the concern with his blunt assessment of the team’s lineup and offered a reflection on his plans for the next season.
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The matter in question was the increasing number of athletes leaving the Colorado Buffaloes within months. Answering the query, a visibly uncomfortable Deion Sanders analyzed why the departure was not a problem for him and his team. He asserted that the players leaving aren’t actually “potentials” and voiced his faith in the recruiting team. Taking a step further, he even hinted that it is high time the media and analysts leave the matter to his team if they haven’t properly done their homework.
“I wish you guys do a little bit more homework when asking about the portal and understand what are we losing. What are we losing? You haven’t been watching practice, huh? We’re good. I trust the recruiting team, and I trust our coaches, and please have some faith in me,” he said, downplaying the concerns raised by the journalist, and validating that the Buffaloes have already addressed the problem.
According to USA Today, the Buffaloes have lost 27 players since last November. Even though most of them are backups, they also lost offensive weapons like Savion Washington, who played nine games last season. However, the Colorado head coach signaled that the team’s core was intact and that the recruitment team could handle the departure. Even though Coach Prime did the damage control, another burning question is how the Buffaloes lost so many players this season.
How Did 27 Players Leave the Buffaloes and Deion Sanders?
It is indeed worrying that the Buffaloes failed to preserve the recruited talents. There could also be many reasons for the players to leave in such a short span. For starters, one argument that sticks out: Coach Prime has already formed his core group, which naturally leaves out several players from the lineup. This could be one of the prime reasons why players are looking for a new home elsewhere—to establish their presence in college football.
Another key reason is that the new changes in the transfer portal mean players can transfer more than once without penalty. Such a flexible ruling by the federal court following the injunction has now led the players to make quick moves when things don’t go their way. Unfortunately, Coach Prime and his Buffaloes are one of the most affected teams by these previously set parameters.
While the Buffaloes lost 27 players, it needs to be noted that they also received 24 players in the same period, as per USA Today. It lessens the damage from a talent management perspective, which also caused Deion to declare there is nothing to worry about with the Buffaloes. Meanwhile, Coach Prime has requested more trust from his fans and team supporters as the Buffaloes look to brush aside the 2023 disappointment season. The next few months will be crucial for him as a head coach to prove the naysayers wrong.
