Buffs Beat

Deion Sanders Exposes Virginia For Tampering With Colorado Buffaloes Player Not In Transfer Portal

Coach Deion Sanders made it a point to call out the Virginia Cavaliers for tampering with Colorado Buffaloes safety Carter Stoutmire outside of the college football transfer portal. Stoutmire remains with the Buffs and even expressed his loyalty to "Coach Prime."
Jack Carlough|
Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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The 10-day spring transfer portal window opened earlier this week, and Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders has already reached a breaking point in response to another college football program seemingly tampering with his current players.

In Thursday's Well Off Media YouTube video, "Coach Prime" was shown addressing his team during practice about safety Carter Stoutmire being "offered a bag" to enter the transfer portal. Stoutmire named the Virginia Cavaliers as the guilty party, and Sanders quickly found a camera to call out the ACC program.

"Virginia, you got to stop," Sanders said. "I let you have one. I ain't say nothing about it. C'mon now. Come on. We let you have one. I ain't say nothing about it."

Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) is tackled by Colorado Buffaloes safety Carter
Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights quarterback KJ Jefferson (1) is tackled by Colorado Buffaloes safety Carter Stoutmire (23) during the second half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

That one player Sanders mentioned appears to be running back Isaiah Augustave, who entered the transfer portal on Wednesday. A Colorado player was heard yelling out "23" in the video (Augustave's number), and 247Sports reported that the Buffs' leading rusher from last season was expected to visit Virginia on Thursday. Augustave hasn't yet announced a commitment to Virginia, however.

Colorado has lost six players since the transfer portal opened on Wednesday: Augustave, safety Savion Riley, tight end Sam Hart, wide receiver Adrian Wilson, defensive end Taje McCoy and center Cash Cleveland. Wilson, an early enrollee, has already committed to coach Bill Belichick's North Carolina Tar Heels.

MORE: Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes Snag 'Freak Athlete' From Transfer Portal

MORE: How Transfer Portal Receiver Sincere Brown Impacts Colorado Buffaloes' Receiver Room

MORE: Nico Iamaleava To Transfer To Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes? Why It Doesn't Make Sense

Coincidentally, Stoutmire spoke with the media on Thursday and was asked to share his thoughts on the transfer portal. The son of former NFL safety Omar Stoutmire has been with the Buffs since 2023 and recorded seven pass breakups last season.

"From my point of view on the portal, the majority of kids, when they see someone go out there and throw a few hundred thousand (dollars) at them, they'll jump at it immediately," Carter Stoutmire said. "For me, I have so much loyalty to this program and stuff like that. Everything that 'Coach Prime' has done for me since I was a kid, since I was a baby — coach (Kevin) Mathis, coach (Andre') Hart. My loyalty is just so strong here. I don't think there's a number out there that could really get me to leave.

"People in the locker room, I feel like we're so tied in and bought into the program. The transfer portal comes up, and it doesn't really faze us. The people that are gone, we know who it is, we know who the ones that are gonna go... Those that we know are gonna stay, we're all locked in here. We're good."

This past weekend, "Coach Prime" added wide receiver Sincere Brown (Campbell) and offensive lineman Xavier Hill (Memphis) from the transfer portal.

Colorado's Black and Gold Day spring football game at Folsom Field is scheduled for Saturday at 2:30 p.m. MT.

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Jack Carlough
JACK CARLOUGH

Jack Carlough is lead reporter for Colorado Buffaloes on SI. Jack graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in journalism and minors in business and sports media. Born and raised in the Boulder area, Jack began covering Colorado athletics in 2018 and was the head sports editor of the CU Independent during his college career. More recently, he spent over three years as the managing editor of the USA Today Sports Network's Colorado Buffaloes Wire, where he covered Colorado's hiring of head football coach Deion Sanders. Other publications Jack has written for include the Boulder Daily Camera, Left Hand Valley Courier and SB Nation’s Ralphie Report. In 2022, the Colorado Press Association awarded Jack second place in its annual Class 5 Best Sports Column Writing category.

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