Colorado players say racial stereotypes were commonly used in recruiting against Deion Sanders

The issue of negative recruiting is bigger than initially thought

Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes have put together one of the school's best recruiting classes in recent years. There's a total of 30 new players coming to Boulder this year for the nation's 21st-ranked combined class, according to 247Sports. Despite all the success, not everyone is thrilled to see Deion Sanders stacking up wins at CU.   

What happened behind the scenes in the recruiting process for more than a few players has been a blunder. IMG Academy's Jordan Seaton, who's now Colorado's highest-rated offensive lineman, first went on the record about his dealings with other schools at Media Day for UA's Next All-America Game. He said there were coaches who were negatively recruiting against Sanders, asking him if he was going to Colorado to be an inspiring rapper. 

Many thought that was an isolated incident with Seaton, but unfortunately, others have come forward with their own version of racial stereotypes aimed at derailing the Buffs recruiting efforts. UTEP's Justin Mayers said opposing coaches would ask him questions with terms that were out of line. 

"It was crazy stereotypical terms that were pretty alarming," Mayers told DNVR. " You know, 'Kool Aid'... 'Being a rapper'... or just 'That gang' over there. Just all types of negative condentations that shed a bad light on the college football world."

One of Mayers' newest teammates, Nikhil Webb Walker, also said recently that he was turned off by an Oregon State coach who decided to go after Coach Prime. He was in between heading to Corvallis or being in Boulder, and the comments swayed his decision to join the stampede. 

A former Colorado commit had his own story to tell BuffsBeat about being swarmed with negative recruiting. When he told one coach he was officially joining Sanders and the Buffs, he was asked if they fed him "Colonel Sanders' best chicken and watermelon '' on his visit. 

Sanders addressed the crooked coaches indirectly while on 'The Ones' podcast with Robert Griffin III eariler this year. "Be careful because when these kids bring phones into your meeting room, you're exposed to certain things," Sanders said. "I'm not going to put you out there, but just keep my name out of your mouth."