Coach Prime admitted that while his Colorado football roster wasn't up to snuff during the 2023 season, neither was he.
“We weren’t prepared, we didn’t have the ability inside the locker room and at some position including myself,” Sanders said on The Today Show (h/t Denver Sports). “This year we’re ready. We’re reloaded, we’re revamped, we went and got those places where we lacked, like the offense and defensive line and I can not wait for this season.
“This is my last year with my sons, they’re going pro. It’s going to be a great year.”
Coach Prime chose not to go on Colorado football recruiting visits
It's laudable that Deion Sanders was able to be so honest about his own shortcomings. With that said, many would point to a recruiting rule he didn't change in the offseason -- that being his lack of home and campus visits with prospective Buffs -- as the main reason why his team lacked in several areas.
As USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer reports, Coach Prime chose not to spend a dime of the $200,000 allotted to him in the offseason to visit recruits where they are.
"The data since Dec. 1, 2022 covers the last two winter contact periods on the NCAA recruiting calendar, which generally restricts head coaches from making off-campus recruiting contacts beyond the months of December and January," Schrotenboer prefaced before saying, "In Sanders’ case, his employment contract with Colorado also gives him an annual budget of $200,000 to use a private air travel service for recruiting called Wheels Up. He didn’t use it."
Coach Prime's health problems were a big reason why he wasn't 100% in his role, but as his health has improved, the team's chances of fielding a competitive team have as well. Sanders has seemingly mastered the 40-40-20 recruiting rule of bringing on 40% grad transfers, 40% undergrad transfers, and 20% high school recruits.
"Seemingly," because we'll save the term "mastered" for when the on-field results match it.