Deion Sanders' boss reacts after Colorado football transfer portal purge
The first few months of Deion Sanders' reign as king of Colorado football has been interesting, to say the least, especially considering how active the school was in the college football transfer portal when accounting for both the huge waves of players coming in and players going out.
Colorado may have brought in an elite class of incoming transfer players, but the school also lost several dozen more to the portal, more than 40 who departed Boulder during the recent spring transfer portal window, and more than 50 have left since Prime got the job back in early December.
Related: Colorado tops 2023 college football transfer team rankings
But looking over the situation in total, Colorado athletic director Rick George not only isn't worried about what he sees, but believes it's all part of a broader plan to revive the Buffaloes' football roster and put the team back in contention.
"I have confidence in him and his staff and they know what they're doing," George told ESPN. "He's been very honest and forthright. He's been very open about it publicly and privately. He's trying to build a winner at Colorado, and this is his way to do it."
George credited Sanders with being open about telling his team, as he did shortly after arriving at Colorado in a clip that went viral, that many of them likely won't be with the program going forward, which by NCAA rule a first-year head coach is allowed to do by cutting scholarship players.
George added, "Coach is doing what he thinks is best for this program. I support that. The rule is in place for a reason. It gives us the ability to do those kinds of things. Any student-athlete who doesn't want to leave, we'll honor their scholarship. We'll pay for it, and we've done that."
Much has been made of the roster purge going on at Colorado, but Sanders and his staff have attracted plenty of talent to the team this offseason, as well.
More: 2023 Colorado football schedule
Wide receiver/defensive back — and former five-star No. 1 ranked recruit — Travis Hunter joined Sanders by moving from Jackson State to Colorado this offseason, as did Deion's son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, followed by edge rushers Sav'ell Smalls and Derrick McLendon, linebacker Demouy Kennedy from Alabama, safety Myles Slusher, corner Jahquez Robinson, receiver Xavier Weaver, and many others.
College Football HQ ranked Colorado at No. 1 in our football transfer portal team rankings following the close of the 2023 spring transfer window.
Now comes the hard part of putting it all together. Up to now, Deion has a vote of confidence from the man who hired him.
(ESPN)
More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | All Teams