The Colorado Buffaloes became one of the biggest stories of the 2023 NCAA football season. After an entertaining offseason in which they made some notable moves, especially bringing in one of the best NFL players of all time as their head coach. With Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, things looked very promising for the Buffs.
Deion Sanders brought all his flashy styles to the sidelines and the gridiron, making his team a very entertaining one to watch. After an electrifying start to the season, winning three games in a row, including a slugfest against TCU, things started to get a little bit complicated for Sanders and co.
As soon as one powerhouse like Oregon came, it was obvious that the Buffaloes were still far away from competing in bowl games, let alone the National Championship.
Nevertheless, ‘Coach Prime’ and his players made a big first impression, earning a lot of recognition all season long, and drawing plenty of attention from non-football people and many athletes across different sports. Now the attention turns to the top Colorado football recruits in 2023 and the Buffs already looking forward to seeing how these new faces can help their aspirations.
Struggling To Get Back
Following that painful 42-6 loss to the Oregon Ducks, the season went south for the Buffaloes, who ultimately lost eight games against four wins. Sanders did a decent job in his first season with the team, but that’s not enough if they want to compete with the powerhouses of the PAC-12.
Everybody has tried to find a solution to the team’s struggles and shortcomings, but as many have stated before, this season was the beginning of a potentially meaningful journey for the Buffs.
The first piece of the puzzle is already there, with Sanders leading the way. They have some interesting pieces to build around, but it’s the supporting cast that needs a little upgrade if this team wants to challenge the bigger teams in the conference and the division.
Coach Prime Building Pieces for 2024
No. 1 OT recruit Jordan Seaton has committed to Colorado and has a message for other recruits 👀
“You claim you’re a dog, why you not coming to Colorado? Why you not helping somebody who looks like you?” pic.twitter.com/hqrhsxFQK3
— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) December 7, 2023
The transfer portal is officially open and we’ve seen plenty of players decide to take their talents to different teams. This is one way for the Buffs to add the pieces they need to compete against the always favorites.
Moreover, the name Deion Sanders has become a big attraction to young players, which explains why 5-star recruit Jordan Seaton committed to Colorado. This is a major addition to the team, as Seaton will provide much-needed protection to starting QB Shedeur Sanders.
“That will never happen again,” Seaton declared on FS1’s Undisputed.
He’s also urging more players to prove themselves and go play for Colorado, one team with a lot of potential that can compete for important things in the near future.
“You claim you’re a dog, why you not coming to Colorado?” Seaton asked top recruits around the country.
Coach Prime comes from a notable first season in front of Colorado, despite their record. He’s now set to make a bigger impact and take this team to the next level. They’ve made some coaching changes this offseason, elevating one analyst to an assistant coach role. Vincent Dancy is set to take over in Colorado and help this team experience some success.
“This guy is one of the smartest guys on the staff who just needed opportunity and guess what happened? He got the opportunity,” Sanders said in one video. “Vincent Dancy is going to be a coordinator one day somewhere and then consequently a head coach. One of the most intelligent coaches and can recruit. And when he talked to the team, when I put him up in front of the team, you could tell he was a head coach. He demands attention.”
They Need To Be Patient
Every project takes time to capitalize, especially when a team with no history whatsoever has the desire to start winning big things. It’s been proven that Sanders is a game-changer, but that alone won’t turn things around in Boulder.
This team needs new players who can make a bigger impact on the field. They have a solid core with Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and co., but they aren’t enough to move the needle and really put the Buffs on the map.
Players like Jordan Seaton can also create a trend and lead other players to join the program, who has one of the best NFL players of all time and a terrific coach who can help their careers. Right now, this isn’t an appealing idea for many players, but as the seasons go by, Colorado can become a solid team that competes against Oregon, Washington, and more.
More time together and a couple of upgrades at specific positions will make this team a solid one and when that happens, the rest of the conference will have to acknowledge them as a true contender.
Wherever Coach Prime goes, people go, and this hasn’t been the exception. It remains to be seen if more 5, 4-star recruits keep finding their way to Boulder to create a special roster with Deion Sanders and co.