Deion Sanders Shares Honest Truth About Building Colorado's Roster

Earlier this week, coach Deion Sanders opened up on some of the challenges he expects to face while rebuilding the Colorado Buffaloes' roster this offseason. Once again, "Coach Prime" is expected to recruit more transfers than high school players.

Nov 22, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

BOULDER — Not every transfer portal class is going to click, and coach Deion Sanders learned that lesson this season as several newcomers struggled to make an impact for the Colorado Buffaloes this fall. In turn, Colorado owns only three wins heading into its season finale on Saturday at Kansas State.

Earlier this week, "Coach Prime" shared some insight into the challenges of player evaluation, revealing that judging a player's heart isn't always easy.

"You just gotta make sure that person is the right guy, and they really want this to want this and not want this for a check," Sanders said. "I think every coach is dealing with that, trying to understand who is who. Because one thing that we don't have in life is measurables for the heart. If we could measure that, by God, we wouldn't waste time on some of the things we're wasting time on. Measurables for the heart, especially with relationships."

Deion Sanders Opens Up On Recruiting Challenges

Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sidelines late in the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Sanders added that Colorado was hindered by his absence this summer as he recovered from bladder cancer. While the Buffs' recruiting staff excelled in some areas, Sanders' inability to meet with players in person certainly hurt.

"I'm not making excuses by any means, but I missed a little bit of that," Sanders said. "I look forward to it. I really look forward to it. Meeting with those guys, interviewing those guys, making sure that their countenance, their desire, their want, their fire, matches with what we have here, or can enhance what we have here. It's like a dating game. You got to sit there and make sure. Just because a guy's a dawg, that don't mean you bring him in, because a dog can mess up your yard."

Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) passes the ball under pressure from Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Leroy Palu (95) in the first quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Most notably, Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter never found his stride with the Buffs, partially due to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. Colorado hit on a few offensive linemen and safety Tawfiq Byard, but far too many transfers struggled to make a true impact.

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Colorado Buffaloes Class of 2026 Commits

Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view Colorado Buffaloes chairs inside Folsom Field before the game against the Arizona Wildcats. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Colorado's 2026 recruiting class is now down to 10 commits after the losses of tight end Gavin Mueller, safety D'Montae Tims and defensive lineman Emanuel Ruffin. The class now ranks No. 102 nationally and No. 15 in the Big 12 Conference, according to 247Sports.

• Four-star safety Preston Ashley (Brandon, Mississippi)
• Four-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. (Newnan, Georgia)
• Three-star linebacker Colby Johnson (Sammamish, Washington)
• Three-star EDGE Domata Peko Jr. (Ventura, California)
• Three-star cornerback Maurice Williams (New Orleans, Louisiana)
• Three-star offensive tackle Xavier Payne (Miami, Florida)
• Three-star linebacker Carson Crawford (Carthage, Texas)
• Three-star offensive lineman Ben Gula (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
• Three-star offensive tackle Josiah Manu (Loveland, Colorado)
• Three-star wide receiver Christian Ward (Bradenton, Florida, via Carrollton, Georgia)