“I’m Deion Sanders”: Hours After ‘Approach’ Justification, Ex-NFL Stars Unite to Scrutinize Coach Prime’s Recruiting Antics

Published 03/21/2024, 9:33 PM EDT

Deion Sanders differs from other HCs in several ways, and one of them is his recruiting approach, where he doesn’t make off-campus visits. While he has garnered lots of attention and support for how he’s changing Colorado’s college football scene, there’s one aspect that doesn’t sit well with some people. But Coach Prime felt with the time changing, recruits have a different mindset now. Recently, former Cincinnati Bengals WR and current FS1 football analyst, TJ Houshmandzadeh appeared on a YouTube episode on SPEAK to give his opinion on Deion Sanders’ recruiting approach.

Along with Joy Taylor, James Jones, and LeSean McCoy, they discussed the feasibility of Coach Prime’s recruitment method in the modern era. Every other HC in college football doesn’t mind spending millions solely on recruitment to visit their potential recruits. But Deion Sanders could save $200,000 of the annual budget for recruitment.

While it may seem like good news for the financial aspect, these high school commits are missing out on one of the most exciting parts of getting recruited, as per what the former NFL stars opine. TJ said, “I don’t know if I like it… No. I wouldn’t like it if I were a four or five-star recruit in high school. I want him to come to my house, just to say, ‘Prime was at my house.’ I want to take that picture of him in my living room with my mother and my family…”

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However, TJ also mentioned that could have some health issues, especially with his feet. So maybe that’s why he didn’t want to travel. He further added, “This day and age, you got to really kiss these kids bu**s. If not, you’re not getting the top recruits without going to their homes…” The former Pro-Bowler went on to say that kids these days want to feel acknowledged and pursued. He added, “I just don’t see it being feasible long term that you not going to do any home visits because I’m Deion Sanders.”

Deion Sanders’s recruiting style is that he doesn’t do home visits. And Houshmandzadeh wasn’t the only one who found fault with Coach Prime’s recruiting style. Former NFL RB LeSean McCoy also voiced his protest and said, “I love Prime though, so I mean most of the things he says, I agree with. What he says I believe it. But, this one, I can’t agree with him.”

But for better or worse, Deion Sanders could be sticking to the no off-campus recruiting technique because he’s still triumphing in his recruitment antics.

Deion Sanders’ believes kids these days don’t want a parade

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If we compare Deion Sanders’ recruiting approach with Jim Harbaugh’s style while building a National Championship lineup, the former Michigan HC shelled out $2.4M by making 145 off-campus visits. This is a timeline from the period when Deion Sanders entered Boulder in December 2022, where he made zero home visits as USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer said, “Coach Prime did not make any off-campus recruiting visits.”

Responding to the claims Sanders said, “Okay, my approach is totally different than many coaches. I’m a businessman, so I try to save our University money every darn chance I get.” He also mentioned that kids who have entered the transfer portal don’t require the hype for a home visit and felt not every kid would have a good place over the head. Coach Prime said, “I know when I was in college, I didn’t want Bobby Bowden in my house because I knew after 7 o’clock it was going to be rats and roaches on parade doing their thing.”

He felt that kids these days were not worried about home visits, but were concerned about their place in the league. He added, “When a guy is in his 20s and he has one or two more shots… He don’t give a darn about the parade you want to take him on. He wants to know, ‘Okay, how are you going to use me? How are you going to help me get to the league and what am I going to get paid?’ That’s it. That’s the world we live in now…”

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Instead of home visits, Deion Sanders relies more on the transfer portal. For the 2024 season, the Buffs HC has already secured 24 transfers, ranking No. 5 on 247Sports. In contrast, he hauled in only seven recruits. His different recruiting approach will be put to the test when the season begins this year after failing last season with an awful 4-8 record.

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Khosalu Puro is an NFL writer at EssentiallySports. She comes with a unique ability to delve deep into the emotions of football athletes, their families, and fans, making her the perfect storyteller. Her coverage of Deion Sanders has been especially riveting for Prime Time's fans, showcasing her ability to provide layered coverage.

“I’m Deion Sanders”: Hours After ‘Approach’ Justification, Ex-NFL Stars Unite to Scrutinize Coach Prime’s Recruiting Antics

Deion Sanders’ believes kids these days don’t want a parade

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