LAS VEGAS — Colorado football coach Deion Sanders walked onto the stage and confused reporters for parishioners.
“Good to see you. How are you all doing?” Sanders said from the Allegiant Field end zone stage. “I need more energy. This is horrible. If I was in church I would get up and walk out.”
Sanders wasn’t going anywhere, embracing his turn in the spotlight during the second day of the Big 12 media carwash. After shoutouts to UCF coach Gus Malzahn, who recruited Shedeur Sanders as a high school sophomore, and Texas Tech boss Joey McGuire, who coached Deion Sanders Jr. in high school, Sanders broke out stats to debunk criticism of his process.
The NFL Hall of Fame player has been viewed as living only in the transfer portal to build his first two rosters. There’s no denying his dominance in this area, but Sanders made it clear the program goes beyond that.
“To you all (who) say it’s only the portal, we signed 17 high school players and 13 played last year. When you sign, we want you to play. We played a total of 20 freshmen, including seven walk-ons,” Sanders said Wednesday. “In 2024, we had the second-highest football GPA ever. In 2023, we had the highest GPA.”
Sanders stressed that these accomplishments are AP — After Prime. The Big 12 has embraced his arrival, with president Brett Yormark calling him a “positive disruptor,” someone who “stirs the pot” and creates creative friction. Sanders is not about to let tradition get in the way of progress.
“I am a big Deion fan going back to his playing days. The exposure he has given our conference is excellent,” Malzahn said. “And he does it his own way.”
Added Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, “He kind of took coaching as his personality. He’s built his brand that way. That’s who he is.”
While Sanders’ economic impact on CU and the city of Boulder has been staggering, the next step is clear: winning. The Buffs dropped eight of their final nine games last season, and the media picked CU to finish 11th in its return to an expanded 16-team conference.
“I am judged differently. There is a greater scope, and I can’t win nine games and have our GPA suffer. And we can’t have a high GPA and lose another eight games,” Sanders said. “We have to win in every area.”
What makes Sanders think the Buffs will improve? It starts with potential All-Americans in Shedeur Sanders, who could be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL draft, and two-way star Travis Hunter, a projected top-10 pick. Then, there is the addition of new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, offensive play-caller Pat Shurmur and bigger bodies in the trenches.
Those tie in to Sanders’ vision to have a team that is “smart, tough, fast, disciplined, and plays with character.” So, yeah, he’s optimistic.
“I am (optimistic) when I see the offensive line training, the way they are working and going about their job. And I see the defensive line coaches on their kids and the way they are demanding excellence. And I see the wide receivers staying after practice to work with the quarterback, and I see the running backs working,” Sanders said. “I plan on winning and getting there, and I am not getting there alone.”’
Sanders finished his media availability with an afternoon session. He is clearly comfortable in his new conference, explaining that the coaches have “been kind, supportive, outside the box. And I am not used to that. I am used to the hate.” Will they feel the same way if the Buffs start beating them, restoring the program to glory of the 1990s? Sanders did not talk like a coach who is leaving anytime soon given his fit in the conference and with the new president.
“(Yormark) is a boss. He is awesome. He is a forward thinker, a guy that gets it done. He don’t talk about it. He is about it,” Sanders said. “I am glad to partner with him on what we are doing. I am glad that (athletic director) Rick (George) did his research and put us in the best place he could possibly place us as a school. You guys are thinking only football, but I am thinking other sports as well that are going to benefit from this transition. I am happy we are in the Big 12.”
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Originally Published: July 10, 2024 at 2:16 p.m.
