Colorado Buffaloes players are following the head coach’s advice Deion Sanders So go ahead and jump in that [transfer] portal.»
On Monday, 18 red players entered the transfer portal, bringing the total number to enter the portal since Sanders took the job at Boulder to 41, according to The Athletic.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders greets fans before the Black and Gold game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023. (Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
«You all know we’re going to move on from some of the team members and we’re going to recharge and get some kids that we really identify with,» Sanders said after the spring game. «So this process is going to be fast, it’s going to be fast, but we’re going to get it done.»
COLORADO WIDE RECEIVER ENTERS TRANSFER PORTAL AFTER BIG SPRING GAME
One of the players who entered the portal, wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, put in a strong performance during Saturday’s spring game, recording three receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
«During the course of my time at the University of Colorado, I have been fortunate to come across many notable individuals who have played important roles in my journey,» Lemonious-Craig wrote in a statement.
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig during the USC Trojans game on November 11, 2022, at United Airlines Field in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Jordon Kelly/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
«…I am truly grateful for each and every person who has contributed to my college experience. I am especially grateful for the sincere people I have had the pleasure of getting to know during my time at the University of Colorado. The warmth and kindness I have experienced from the faculty, staff, and fellow students who have made my time here truly special.»
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The mass exodus is another example of Sanders shaking up the culture in Colorado, as «Coach Prime» tries to resurrect a program that went 1-11 in 2022.
In his first meeting with the team as head coach, Sanders made headlines by imploring returning players to «go ahead and jump in that [transfer] portal» while bringing players with him to Colorado.
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While his message caused a stir, it was apparently well received within the colorado program.
Colorado University Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks onto the field for warmups before the Black and Gold game at Folsom Field on April 22, 2023. (Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
«I kind of thought, ‘Dang, that could be construed as rude, disrespectful,’ but at the same time, he wouldn’t be here if we didn’t need him,» Darian Hagan, former CU player and a member of the soccer staff told ESPN. “The truth is the truth, and he told the truth. The guys who walked into the portal, they didn’t deserve to be here, because if you let words talk you into moving on and not fighting for what you believe in and what you signed up for, you shouldn’t be here.»
Colorado set attendance records for Saturday’s spring game and the program has exhausted subscriptions for the first time in 27 years.
Paulina Dedaj of Fox News contributed to this report