Deion Sanders has built his reputation on doing things his way. But at Colorado, that confidence is starting to look more like stubbornness. Coach Prime refuses to follow the traditional recruiting playbook, and with the Buffs struggling, his refusal to adapt is becoming harder to defend.
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FOX analyst RJ Young believes Deion Sanders needs to reconsider one of his most unusual recruiting habits: staying off the road and leaving home visits to other coaches.
“When you seem to be losing players because Kirby Smart is willing to walk into somebody’s house and you are not, Nick Saban is willing to walk into somebody’s house, you are not,” he said. “Back when you were still doing that, quite literally every other major college football coach in the country is willing to come into someone else’s house and say hi, have a meal, and have a really good private conversation. That’s a bad look.”
Young’s point was simple. Deion Sanders’ name can only carry him so far when rival coaches are willing to do the legwork. Colorado is 2-4 overall and winless in Big 12 play at 0-3. The Buffs need better players, and another recruiting miss won’t help.
Young’s criticism was not that Deion Sanders had lost his celebrity appeal. It was that celebrity appeal has limits, especially when other programs can offer competitive financial packages and more personal attention.
“Now Prime’s reasoning is ‘I don’t think many people want me in their houses,’” Young said. “‘I don’t think that they want to be apologizing for how their house looks or having to have these discussions about what he must be used to’ and I said that’s exactly what they want.”
Sanders has openly defended his decision not to visit recruits away from Colorado’s campus. During a 2024 news conference, he explained that his approach differed from those of other coaches and that he wanted to save the university money.
“I’m a businessman as well, so I try to save our university money every darn chance I get,” he said.
Sanders would rather bring recruits to Boulder than go to them. He wants families to see the campus, get a feel for the city, and buy into Colorado. To him, hitting the road is a waste of money when recruits can come to him.
“Going there is just showcasing for me,” he said. “That’s just blowing money. It’s blowing a bag, don’t make sense. I can’t do things other coaches can do. You know why? I’m Coach Prime. And I didn’t stutter when I said it.”
There is a certain logic to selling a program on its own turf. But recruiting is not a one-size-fits-all business. What works for one prospect may fall flat with another, and Young believes Sanders is overlooking the importance of personal attention.
Shannon Sharpe has made a similar argument. On Nightcap, the Pro Football Hall of Famer said Sanders must stop making himself the center of the recruiting pitch and focus on what prospects and their families need.
“It ain’t about you, it’s about these kids,” he remarked.
Sharpe added that Sanders’ reputation alone was no longer enough to guarantee that players would choose Colorado. Coaches must demonstrate that they are invested in the athletes, not merely selling their own brand.
On3’s Andy Staples has also previously questioned Sanders’ reluctance to recruit away from campus, suggesting that his explanations for the policy were inconsistent.
“It seems like he’s got a couple different reasons, and they don’t really match up, which suggests to me that maybe he’s just making excuses here,” he said.
At 2-4, Colorado can’t afford to keep doing things the same way and hope for better results. Sanders wants recruits to come to Boulder. But if rival coaches are knocking on their doors, Young thinks it’s time for Prime to hit the road.