Robert Livingston Reveals Key Truth About Deion Sanders' Revised Recruiting Approach

After learning from last year's shortfalls, coach Deion Sanders entered this offseason with a more precise and hands-on approach to the Colorado Buffaloes' recruiting efforts.

Rather than target players who may or may not blossom into reliable Buffs, "Coach Prime" instead advised his staff to focus on grabbing players who've already proven they can produce at the college level. Recruiting from the high school level will always come with some uncertainty, but there's now a clearer approach to Colorado's roster rebuild.

Robert Livingston Truth Deion Sanders Recruiting Approach Colorado Buffaloes Coach Prime Transfer Portal Commitments Boulder — Sep 20, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Wyoming Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

"The marching orders from Coach Prime is take production, not potential," defensive coordinator Robert Livingston told CUBuffs.com.

While a few notable names are returning in Ben Finneseth, RJ Johnson and Quency Wiggins, Livingston's starting defense could easily feature 11 newcomers when the Buffs visit the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 1. Roles are slowly taking form in winter workouts, but plenty is expected change over the next seven months.

"Competition usually brings out the best in people, and we've got competition really on every level of the defense," Livingston added.

Livingston is currently preparing for his third spring camp as Colorado's defensive coordinator. After overseeing a unit that led the Big 12 in sacks in 2024, the Buffs' defense struggled with consistency last season en route to winning only three games.

Deion Sanders' New Recruiting Approach

Although he was limited in what he could accomplish last year due to his battle with bladder cancer, "Coach Prime" has taken a more hands-on approach to Colorado's recruiting efforts this offseason. Sanders recently told Thee Pregame Show that he has vetted all of the Buffs' targets in hopes of finding players who better match the program's expectations.

"First and foremost, let me let you understand this: I'm hands-on with everything right now," Sanders told Thee Pregame Show last month. "Every kid, I've watched on tape and have hand-picked him, hand-selected him to come in myself, and know all his attributes and inundated with what's all poppin' within their lives... We have a staff meeting every morning about all that to make sure we're able to service the kids properly, as well as making certain they fit."

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Colorado's Most Notable Defensive Additions

From the trenches to the secondary, "Coach Prime" and his staff have had a busy offseason finding proven defensive players from the portal. Newcomers who put up big numbers at their prior schools include defensive linemen Ezra Christensen and Santana Hopper, linebackers Gideon Lampron and Tyler Martinez, and defensive backs Randon Fontenette and Justin Eaglin.

Although many of Colorado's defensive additions hail from lower-level programs, the hope is that their experience and productivity will translate to Power Four success. "Coach Prime" has made a habit of finding hidden gems from smaller schools, although continuing that trend will require productive spring and fall camps.