Newly-hired head coaches are expected to use the transfer portal to their advantage in this era of college football, but no coach has engineered the kind of roster turnover that Deion Sanders has at Colorado. Don't tell that to Buffaloes athletic director Rick George.
George publicly defended Sanders on Thursday, telling 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."
Sanders was about as honest as any coach ever has been when he took over at Colorado, encouraging players to transfer. “We got a few positions already taken care of because I’m bringing my own luggage with me,” he said in his first team meeting.
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Since then, the numbers are staggering. 57 Colorado players have entered the transfer portal since Sanders was hired, bringing the total number of departures since August to 71. 18 players hit the portal on the Monday following the Buffaloes' spring game in April, including WR Montana Lemonious-Craig, who lit up the game as one the few impact players still left from the previous regime.
Despite the exodus, George says Sanders isn't the first coach to encourage players to transfer. "He's just publicly stated it, where a lot of people don't. We're not the first to do this," George said.
It is unprecedented, though, to have this many players enter the portal. Arkansas State was the previous record-holder with 50 entrants. That record has been dwarfed by Colorado's 71 since the season began.
MORE: Why 18 players left Colorado after spring game
An anonymous Big 12 director of player personnel told The Athletic that what happens next for the Buffaloes could determine whether we see more of this kind of roster turnover from other programs in the future.
“What we know is all eyes across all of college football are gonna be on Colorado. It will impact the future of college football markedly for the next generation, one way or another," the staffer said.
Fans will have eyes on Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter when Colorado takes the field for the first time in September. The rest of the roster, it seems, is in flux — all according to plan, as far as George is concerned.