BOULDER, Colo. – Deion Sanders created a new version of himself this spring as the head football coach at the University of Colorado. At 56, the Pro Football Hall of Famer often showed up to work with a thin beard and blue-collar coveralls that looked like an auto mechanic's outfit.
In this case, the style suits his task. Renovations are underway by a smarter, grayer repair crew. The question now is whether he'll be good enough in year two after so many things went wrong in year one, especially when his roster seems to be constantly changing.
Has Sanders' quarterback son Shedur, who broke his hip last season, really gotten better?
After Colorado introduced a completely new starting offensive line to replace last year's starting offensive line, will his blockers be up to the task this time around?
And does Colorado's fan base still believe?
Some clues will be revealed at Colorado College's annual Spring Red-White Game on Saturday at Folsom Field.
What's the reading on Sanders' second CU team?
Television viewers and spectators for this year's spring games will be much smaller than last year, Sanders' first season in Boulder. Still, the spring football crowd was the second largest in Colorado history, likely surpassing 2008, when 17,800 people attended.
There are at least two general reasons for this.
∎ Many CU alumni and fans still believe in Deion Sanders' high potential after he turned around a struggling program that went 1-11 the season before being hired at the end of 2022 .
“I’m very optimistic,” said Jeff Crawford, a University of Colorado alumnus and donor to CU athletics.
∎ But there's plenty of reason to be skeptical, as Sanders finished his first season in Boulder with a 4-8 record, including eight losses in his final nine games. Like last year, Colorado's roster is being remade with the comings and goings of dozens of transfer players.
“The best team I was on wasn't the most talented team,” former Colorado State and NFL linebacker Chad Brown told USA TODAY Sports. “Talent is just part of the equation. You've got to get these guys to play together and be a team. So when you look at all the movement in and out of this roster, you're developing players, you've got to get these guys to play together and be a team. It seems like an incredibly difficult task to grow and cultivate a culture there. So I hope that part is not overlooked.”
Where will it be broadcast and how many people will attend?
Instead of being broadcast on ESPN like last year, the game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network for an hour Saturday at 3:00 PM ET, followed by Oregon State's spring game at 4:00 PM ET.
Instead of a sold-out crowd like last year (47,277 people), 22,000 tickets had been distributed as of Monday.
Neither is far from what Deion Sanders wanted. In a video posted this week, he said this year's team is much better than last year.
“Day and night,” he said on Thee Pregame Show.
In theory, he's probably right. Some of his star players return, including Shedule Sanders and two-way phenom Travis Hunter. Replica jerseys for both players are on sale at the campus bookstore for $109.99. The offensive line, which was Colorado's biggest weakness last year, also appears to be much improved.
So why did “Coach Prime” have to make this appeal to fans this month?
“I want everything I do to sell out,” he said on Well Off Media on April 10. I hope it sells out. we love you. we love us Let's go together. Let's make it happen. ”
That likely won't happen, but that doesn't mean big things can't happen for Sanders and Colorado this weekend. They're just a little bit more of a wait-and-see market than they were before.
What else is happening at CU this weekend?
Recruits are coming. Featuring rapper Lil Wayne. And Deion Sanders is helping host Friday's “Primetime Elite Dinner” to benefit organizations that support player name, image and likeness (NIL). His VIP table with “Coach Prime'' is already sold out, costing him $20,543 for eight tickets.
Just like last spring, Sanders plans to use this weekend to introduce the program to recruits. Among those planning a visit to Boulder is Byron Lewis, a No. 14 ranked high school player from Fort Lauderdale.th According to 247Sports' overall rankings, he is receiving national attention as a running back prospect in 2025.
“Heading to the University of Colorado,” Louis wrote on social media site X on Wednesday.
Call forwarding and Lil Wayne concert
Colorado also has several transfers scheduled to enroll this year, including Pittsburgh defensive end Dayon Hayes, Ohio State defensive lineman Rayan Buell and Texas offensive lineman Peyton Kirkland. It is expected that the
The latter three show the transport portal door swinging both inward and outward. Colorado State has had at least 33 scholarship players transfer or announce their departure from the team since November, most of them backups or programs like Cormani McClain, the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the country last year. The players were disillusioned. But the Buffs have added at least 28 transfers since last December, several of whom are scheduled to play Saturday.
Those traveling this weekend may experience some rain on Saturday. But they also get to see Deion Sanders' friend Lil Wayne perform at the CU Events Center on campus after the game. As of Monday, the concert was nearly sold out, with more than 6,000 tickets sold, according to the university.
Can new blockers be blocked?
Of the five starting offensive linemen who finished last season at the University of Colorado, four decided to transfer and one ran out of college eligibility and is no longer even on the roster.
Anywhere else, it's probably not good. But here in Colorado, fans are excited about this.
That's because last year's offensive line allowed the second-most sacks of quarterbacks in the nation (56) and suffered a blow that left Shadeur Sanders with a broken back.
“Our biggest weakness last year was in the trenches,” said Crawford, a UC alumnus and donor. “I think we've upgraded a lot in the groove. And I think that's going to be the difference this year. If they play as well as I think we can, I think we're going to have a very successful year.” Masu.”
Can this new group be blocked? That's a question that won't be answered until the fall.
According to 247Sports, they are among the new transfers, along with Jordan Seaton, the nation's No. 1 rookie offensive tackle in 2024.
“When we say we got a new offensive lineman, it doesn't mean we got a new offensive line,” said Brown, a former Colorado linebacker. “The line is the unit on a football team that requires the most work, requires the most time together, and requires the most unspoken communication… How can we transform our linemen into offensive linemen?” ” That is a very important part. ”
Still, Deion Sanders sees great progress there.
“They're a great group, a great family,” Deion Sanders said last week. “You rarely see one without the other. You rarely see those guys anywhere. You always see three or four of them together.”
Deion Sanders calls “a much better staff.”
Of last year's team's 10 full-time assistant coaches, five coaches have moved on to other schools and one coach has been transferred, so only four remain in the same coaching roles as last year.
“The staff is a much better staff,” Deion Sanders said on Thee Pregame Show this week. “For these young men, a more understanding staff is more relatable.”
Saturday will be a rehearsal for them, especially on defense under new defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, who previously served as defensive backs coach for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals. Livingston lost McClain but added several new players, including cornerback DJ McKinney, who committed to Oklahoma State, and former LSU lineman Quency Wiggins. Both have three years left of eligibility to take university entrance exams.
They are expected to play Saturday in a format of first-team offense versus second-team defense and first-team defense versus second-team offense.
“I'm excited to feel that atmosphere,” Livingston told reporters this week. “I can’t wait to see what it’s like to be here at the bottom of the mountain and see all that you’ve put into this job.”
After the match, the transfer portal will remain open until the end of the month. More players could come and go before Colorado's lineup is assembled in time for the Aug. 29 home opener against North Dakota State.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenbohr. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com