Deion Sanders’ role as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes has been marred in controversy from the very beginning. From cries of nepotism to complaints about the amount of designer jewelry on the sidelines, critics have raised countless concerns throughout the past three years.
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Now focusing on the coach’s decision to forgo traveling as part of the program’s recruitment process, the masses are once again questioning the effectiveness of Prime’s methods. However, analyst for ‘The Number One College Football Show,’ R.J. Young believes that the criticisms have gone too far this time.
In referring to the “folks that feel some kind of way about Prime saying I ain’t hard to find,” Young likened Sanders’ approach to that of entertainers who have reached residential deals with Las Vegas companies.
“Treating Colorado like Britney Spears might treat Las Vegas as a resident. Meaning, you’re going to fly to Las Vegas to see her perform, because that’s where she’s going to live for the foreseeable future, if you want to see her at all. The same thing is true for Deion Sanders, who does not take any home visits and doesn’t take any trips to other high schools to recruit players.”
While some believe that eliminating home visits goes against the spirit of recruiting, another school of thought suggests that Sanders has elevated the program past the need to sell itself to future talent. Considering that the Buffaloes are now responsible for producing two of the premiere talents that are set to be featured in the 2025 NFL Draft, perhaps Coach Prime is right in his assessment that Colorado is on the upswing.
Granted, other prominent coaches, such as North Carolina’s Bill Belichick, have elected to take the traditional route of scheduling visitations along the recruiting trail. During a previous appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the New England legend likened the newfound landscape of college football to that of the NFL free agency period.
Describing the process “…a little bit of a combination between a couple hours after the draft… and free agency in general,” Belichick’s approach will operate in stark contrast to that of Sanders. The beauty of the game, however, lies in the fact that both men will have their strategies put to the test.
Now finding themselves in a time period that is defined by dollar amounts and potential sponsorships, coaching staffs from around the country continue to scramble in their attempt to find the most effective response to the NIL era. With a quality education being supplanted by a potential paycheck, there is little loyalty left in today’s game.
The decisions by Belichick and Sanders to operate on opposite ends of the spectrum will make for an interesting experiment heading into the 2025 regular season, with their respective programs operating as guinea pigs that are to be studied by other programs.
While it may take time for any discernible results to come in, fans can expect to see any and every method of recruitment exercised throughout the coming years as schools continue to transform their programs into dynasties.
