Colorado football transfer favorably compares Deion Sanders to his last head coach

UTEP transfer Justin Mayers believes Deion Sanders' Colorado football program prepares him for games better than his former Miners coaching staff did. Mayers told the reporters as much on September 3.

"Coach Prime really makes practice feel like a game," Mayers said (h/t The Coloradoan's Scott Procter). "Comparing to my other school, you kind of had to do extra conditioning. But with Coach Prime and the intensity of the practices, it kind of makes the game easier conditioning wise."

Many of Sanders' former players have taken to the media to rip how Coach Prime treated them while at Colorado, but Mayers is taking the diplomatic route. He actually appreciates the tough love Sanders shows his team.

Certainly, Dana Dimel won't appreciate the call-out. Illinois's first-year senior offensive assistant oversaw Mayers in El Paso.

The Colorado football OL looks much improved from last season

While many are down about the Buffs' 31-26 win over North Dakota State -- one Coach Prime admitted himself felt like a loss -- it's not because of Shedeur Sanders' pass protection. Unequivocally, that was the most important improvement that needed to happen this season.

Shedeur having the freedom to stand in the pocket and not get sacked immediately will result in a better on-field product, though the defensive woes and lack of a running game for a second straight yet will ultimately limit their ceiling. CU won't be a winner overnight, but they will be able to win games pundits wrote them off in because of the improved OL.

Sanders proving able to build capable offensive lines will do wonders for the long-term stability of the program. QB prospects like Julian Lewis can now see a proof of concept and know that Boulder is a place where they can get on the radar of NFL scouts.

Why? Because everyone's watching Colorado. And luckily, no one is watching the Buffs' OL give up sack after sack again in 2024.