Deion Sanders Makes Savvy NIL Move With Latest Hire

The Colorado Buffaloes have made an addition to their recruiting staff, hiring Hutton Reed as Colorado's assistant director of recruiting. The move by the Buffs was reported by On3's Pete Nakos on Friday, April 24, as Colorado coach Deion Sanders adds another member to the football program's support staff.

Reed has been a figure in the college sports world with his direction of Package Deal Sports, a sports agency specializing in name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals in college athletics. Can Reed's familiarity with NIL deals from the agency side help Colorado's high school recruiting efforts?

colorado buffaloes deion sanders recruiting staff hutton reed darrius darden-box brennan marion transfer portal — Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Additionally, Reed's background in negotiating NIL agreements between schools and players should help the Buffs when adding transfer portal prospects.

He already has been acquainted with the Colorado program as Reed represented former Buffs linebacker Reginald Hughes. As a result, adding Reed to the Buffaloes' support staff should have an immediate impact on Colorado's player acquisition process.

The pinned post on Reed's X account is a testament to his appreciation of "Coach Prime" and Colorado's program:

"Nothing but Love & Respect for @CUBuffsFootball. Coach Prime and his staff are unbelievable individuals, I consider them Family! They will provide Reggie with the best opportunity to grow as an individual on & off the field," Reed posted in December of 2024.

Colorado's Revamped Recruiting Staff

Colorado's recruiting staff has undergone multiple changes during the offseason in addition to the hiring of Reed, highlighted by Darrius Darden-Box's promotion to the Buffaloes' director of player personnel under Sanders.

Meanwhile, Sanders' on-field coaching staff is filled with multiple new faces, mainly offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and defensive coordinator Chris Marve.

The impact of the changes made by Colorado was felt immediately in the Buffs' transfer portal class, headlined by wide receivers Danny Scudero and DeAndre Moore as well as defensive backs Jah Jah Boyd, Randon Fontenette, and Justin Eaglin.

"Coach Prime" and his staff also addressed the trenches, adding 12 new defensive linemen and 8 offensive linemen to the roster.

Sanders has been known to prioritize the transfer portal as a primary way of filling out his roster at Colorado, but the addition of more recruiting support staff could signal a change in the Buffs' strategy.

On the recruiting trail, the Buffaloes recently landed from four-star quarterback Andre Adams as Adams committed to Colorado over Florida State, Kentucky, and Virginia Tech. On Friday, the program added another recruit with the commitment of three-star interior offensive line recruit Kenny Fairley.

Adams and Fairley were the second and third recruits in the class of 2027 to commit to Colorado, giving the Buffaloes a recruiting class currently ranked No. 56 in the country according to 247Sports.

Colorado's recruiting class of 2026 finished ranked No. 55 in the country by 247Sports, but the Buffaloes already appear to be on a hotter start than previous recruiting cycles. Future expected visitors include four-star wide receiver recruit Khalil Taylor and four-star safety recruit Gabe Jenkins.

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