Deion Sanders told his Colorado football locker room to respect the "Original Buffaloes," or the "O.B.s," as he honored the 11 holdovers from the Karl Dorrell era -- quarterback Colton Allen, running back Charlie Offerdahl, tight ends Louis Passarello and Brady Kopetz, offensive lineman Ben Reznik, linebacker Trevor Woods, cornerback Braden Keith, safeties Ben Finneseth and Austin Dahlke, kicker Cristiano Palazzo, and long snapper Camden Dempsey -- during an offseason practice.
“These guys are the O.B.s, Original Buffaloes,” Sanders said (h/t AthlonSports). “Always give them respect, always give them love because they have been through hell and high water. And guess what? They are still here. I am proud of every last one of them."
Sanders gave special love to Dempsey, referring to him as "The Governor" and claiming that he'd one day hold public office.
Deion Sanders still battling allegations from cut 2022 Colorado football players
Sanders making a spectacle of the guys who did survive two springs worth of cuts is somewhat of a flex on the former players from the 2022 team who dragged his name through the mud after they were dismissed ahead of year one of "Prime Time."
Receiver Chase Sowell and safety Xavier Smith, the latter of whom drew far more media attention due to Shedeur Sanders claiming he didn't remember him, both shared their stories with The Athletic's Max Olson in a tell-all aimed at painting Coach Prime as cold and callous.
Since that happened, there's been shots at and from CU, and there's also been some less-than-flattering rumors coming out about the locker room culture in Boulder; most notably a gambling video released that shows players partaking on campus.
The "O.B.s" sticking around are great PR for Sanders, who can rely on their resilience as a sign that Colorado is no less player-friendly under him than his predecessor.