When Coach Deion Sanders got to Boulder, he told the world he was bringing his luggage — and it was Louis. We saw what he meant by that soon after, as the Colorado Buffalo roster from the season prior was nearly stripped in its entirety. Only 10 scholarship players from the year before were retained, and Prime brought in 86 new players from high school or the transfer portal.
Colorado started the season on fire, beating the TCU Horned Frogs, who appeared in the National Championship game a few months before. It was a shootout to kick off the Prime era. They then won the two games after that, setting the country ablaze with an undefeated 3-0 beginning to the season. They were even ranked as the no. 18 team in the nation at one point. However, the Buffs have experienced a slide since then, losing six out of their last seven games.
The Buffs Take a Slide
This slide has allowed the country to get the last laugh. The “fans” who were once backing Coach Prime and his squad have now resorted to calling his team “trash,” “overrated,” “soft,” or “sorry.”
If you go on the Buffs’ latest Instagram posts of their season finale against the Utah Utes, you will see dozens upon dozens of haters and speculation. However, if you look hard enough, you will see the true believers. The ones who know that despite recent struggles, this team has one of the brightest futures in college football. They know that regardless of the losses, this team has shown brilliance. They know not to panic.
Because in reality, Coach Sanders had one of the most successful seasons in college football this year. When he expelled his roster upon arrival, he was portrayed as a villain by those affected by it. But he was just doing what he saw fit, and it has worked out beautifully. Xavier Weaver is a perfect example of that. Weaver transferred to CU from the University of South Florida and has outshined every pass catcher who left when Prime arrived.
During this season, Weaver amassed over 900 receiving yards and six total touchdowns (four receiving, two rushing). Every wide receiver AND running back who left Colorado after Coach Sanders arrived has accumulated 1,119 total yards and seven touchdowns… combined. Those stats include ALL players, not just the ones who left for another Pac-12 team (Power Five, Group of Five, or FCS).
The Proof is in the Stats
To sweeten the pot even more, of all the Power Five schools that started this season out with a new head coach, only one team will have won at least three games since their previous year. The Colorado Buffaloes.¹
In retrospect, Coach Deion Sanders’ bold arrival in Boulder marked the beginning of a transformative era for the Colorado Buffaloes. The team faced its share of challenges and a rollercoaster season. Still, the resilience displayed by the players under Coach Prime’s leadership is undeniable.
In the face of an entire nation’s worth of criticism, the true believers continue to see beyond the recent setbacks. They recognize the team’s potential and the individual success stories that have emerged from the revamped roster.
Coach Sanders’ strategic overhaul has laid the foundation for a promising future in college football. The country will soon realize that the motto is still: We Comin.’
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¹ – Stanford: 3-9 to 3-8, Arizona State: 3-9 to 3-8, Wisconsin: 6-6 to 6-5, Auburn: 5-7 to 6-5, Georgia Tech: 5-7 to 6-5, Nebraska: 4-8 to 5-6. Colorado… 1-11 to 4-8.
