By PAT GRAHAM (AP Sports Writer)
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Deion Sanders trusts his sons, Shilo and Shedeur, not just in football but also in the transfer portal.
As leaders of the Colorado Buffaloes, Shilo, a defensive back, and Shedeur, the QB, wouldn’t have it any other way. They’ve made themselves available through social media to any player in the transfer portal who’s interested in Boulder. However, Shilo cautioned that the Buffaloes aren’t “Last Chance U.”
“I think the most prominent players at every program are probably your best recruiters,” coach Deion Sanders said Thursday after a spring practice session. “I wish you could have a conversation with Shedeur and just tell him to just show you his (direct messages) one time. You would not believe the kids that call him and call Shilo, because they’re high-profile young men.
“That’s how the recruit thing works, man, for real, is players,” the coach added. “They know who the dogs are and who the cats are.”
Shilo Sanders made a stir with a post on his Instagram stories, which urged defensive transfers to message him and offensive players to reach out to Shedeur.
Being a recruiting coordinator, though, is just part of the new territory for standout players in this wild, wild West nature of college football. That’s perfectly fine with Shedeur Sanders, who wants as many decisions in his hands as possible.
“If it’s fourth down, you know the ball has to be in my hands,” said the Buffaloes quarterback who threw for a school-record 3,230 yards last season but was also sacked 52 times and resulted in Colorado overhauling its offensive line. “The final seconds of the game, it has to be in my hands.”
Shilo Sanders interrupted: “Buddy, you’re the quarterback. The ball is going to be in your hands every play.”
“You can hand the ball off also,” Shedeur Sanders quickly countered. “I like just having real control over everything.”
Oftentimes, potential recruits reach out to Shedeur Sanders because he can give them an honest assessment on what’s going on.
“They just want to make sure they have a home,” he said. “It’s just better from player-to-player rather than from coach-to-player because I’m able to tell you honestly, how we’re going to use you in our offense and stuff, and how I view you.”
The Buffaloes have officially seen 15 players hit the portal, including running back Alton McCaskill, the heralded transfer addition for Colorado last spring from Houston. Former five-star recruit Cormani McClain added his name to the list Thursday. He’s on his way out of Boulder after a limited role. Deion Sanders wished him well.
“I want the best for him, man. I really do. I want that kid to soar,” he said. “Sometimes you need to disconnect from something to reconnect to something else to restart you and re-energize you and stabilize you.”
As for the portal and all the turnover within the team, Deion Sanders urged everyone to do their homework on what sort of players were leaving his program (backups, mostly).
The coach reassured everyone by saying everything is fine and not to make a big deal about it. He expressed frustration about not being able to speak openly due to his role as head coach.
The coach expressed trust in the recruiting team and asked for faith from others. He also reassured everyone that things are okay.
Shilo and Shedeur Sanders are in control as Colorado prepares to move from the Pac-12 to the Big 12.
Shilo Sanders stated that the team is in good shape and he wants to strive to be the best. He mentioned bringing new energy to practice with new players recommended by him, creating opportunities for them to join the school.
His brother shared the same sentiment.
Shedeur Sanders explained that he is honest with players about the team's offensive strategy and his vision for their role, as well as taking control of the team.
Colorado has sold approximately 21,000 tickets for the spring game. The spring game will be held on April 27 at Folsom Field.The Lil Wayne concert at CU Events Center on that night is almost sold out. Deion Sanders was upset about a report regarding his feelings about NFL teams and his kids, calling it false and foolish. Shilo Sanders jokingly admitted to being the one who reported it.
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