Coach Prime killed it in the transfer portal for Colorado football, says one analyst

Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro believes Coach Prime killed it in the transfer portal, particularly at the offensive line position, and that Shedeur Sanders (69th) and Travis Hunter (35th) should rise in ESPN's next Top 100 players rankings if all goes according to plan in 2024.

"Sanders was sacked an absurd 52 times this past season, so it’s interesting the outlet writes he 'ha(s) a ways to go,'" Shapiro prefaced about Shedeur's ranking before saying, "One could argue the offensive line had a long way to go, which is why it got totally rebuilt.

"Head coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur’s father, killed it in the transfer portal and landed the No. 1 high school offensive tackle in the country. For now, these are respectable spots for Hunter and Sanders to check in at. But you better believe if CU makes the kind of noise they want to make in 2024, both players will be looking to crack the top-10 next season."

ESPN has confusing criticism of Shedeur Sanders despite recognizing Colorado football OL's faults

Someone on ESPN's staff had a somewhat inconsistment statement on Shedeur's success behind the Buffs' offensive line. On one hand, Sanders was lauded for standing out, but in the very next breath, he was accused of having "a long way to go."

“Behind an offensive line that gave him less and less protection as the year went on, Sanders threw for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns," the ESPN staffer prefaced before saying, "In what was a noisy rebuilding year for the Buffs, Sanders stood out in singular moments but also showed that both he and Colorado have a ways to go."

If anything, most saw Shedeur's contributions as borderline miraculous given what he was dealing with protention-wise. Buffaloes Wire's Stacey Blackwood even went as far as to say Shedeur carried the offense on his shoulders.

“Despite the incredible numbers that Shedeur Sanders has put up this season, it is completely unfair to put the entire offense on his shoulders,” Blackwood prefaced before saying, “We’ve talked all season long about the Buffs’ need to create some resemblance of a running game to take the load off Sanders."

Hopefully, the renowned offseason haul via high school and (mostly) the transfer portal, one carried by the offensive line additions from both sources, will help Shedeur clear up any confusion about his standing in 2024.