Deion Sanders Breaks Down One Assistant Coach Achieving Colorado's Recruiting Mission

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders shared his thoughts on offensive line coach Gunnar White’s recruiting efforts.

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders’ Monday press conference, he broke down the impact of offensive line coach Gunnar White in the 2027 recruiting class. He revealed the new mission he set for his staff on the recruiting trail and how they lived up to it.

The 2027 class has been widely regarded as the best of the Coach Prime Era at Colorado, and it may have turned around the future of the program. Here’s a look inside of the Buffs’ new recruiting mission according to Coach Prime himself.

Deion Sanders’ increased involvement

Deion Sanders spends time with his son, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) at the conclusion of the second day of training camp, July 30, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Sanders entered the 2026 offseason looking to change the narrative around Colorado recruiting. He understood the impact he could have in bringing in talent from the high school level, so he took it upon himself to be more involved in that process. It started with an intricate system he set up in order to involve his entire coaching staff in the recruiting process alongside him

“I think I just got more involved than I previously have been, and we just took more onus on what we wanted. I set the vision, attacked what we wanted, and split the areas; obviously, Gunnar coming up in Mississippi, that's his zone. Some coaches do it differently. You know, they got certain areas. I don't want a DB coach in Mississippi talking to a lineman. Don't make no sense,” Sanders said. 

He was the ‘final boss’ of sorts when it came to this recruiting process. If the coaching staff convened and determined that a recruit had what they were looking for, they’d be sent off to Coach Prime for the final verdict.

“You don't know if he's good or not. You see the practice there, ‘Well, he looks good,’ no, he was big. You don't know if he looked good. So we send guys out where the class of talent is and make sure the measurables and everything else fits. And then when they make it through, like three of our staff members, they come in, and I get to interrogate them a little bit and see if they could cut it and they've done a great job,” Sanders said. 

Deion Sanders’ thoughts on Gunnar White’s recruiting

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

White tracked down six recruits that passed Sanders’ tests and committed to the program for the 2027 season, according to 247Sports. The site lists him as the No. 2 recruiter in the Big 12 for the class for those efforts, and he only trails Kansas State Wildcats defensive coordinator Jordan Peterson. 

White’s impact was substantial and may play a huge role in the future of the program. But when asked about White’s success, Sanders said it was something he knew he was capable of all along.

“I’m not new to Gunnar's work. Gunnar came from Jackson with us. You guys are new to Gunnar's work. I'm not new to who Gunnar is and why he's on the coaching staff as the offensive line coach, like Gunnar, he's been the same guy since the day I met him,” Sanders said. 

Why Gunnar White stepped up on the recruiting trail

Recruit Dewey Young of Kalamazoo, Michigan, was in attendance at the Ohio State football game against Minnesota at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 4, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

White knew that Sanders had such high expectations for him. During his press conference earlier this month, he broke down the mission that Sanders had for him and his fellow staff members and why it meant so much to him to step up and accomplish it.

“It starts with Coach Prime,” said White in his Aug. 10 presser. “He wanted to set a mission for the recruiting to be different. In the past, we haven’t been heavy on high school guys, but this season, he said he wanted 20 or 21 [high school recruits]. I wanted to make sure that I was at the forefront of that, and it all starts up front with the offensive line and the defensive line, too.” 

Looking for future 1st rounders! 👀🦬 pic.twitter.com/LMEY7uwFhn

— Gunnar White (@Coach_Gunnar) October 16, 2025

Now, Colorado may have redefined the narrative around its recruiting. Thanks to the initiative of White and the structure provided by Coach Prime, the Buffs will have a highly anticipated freshman class coming to Boulder to start next season.

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