Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are going to have to recalibrate after the transfer portal window closes.
Colorado has now lost 14 players to the transfer portal since Monday, including five-star talent Cormani McClain. Overall, Coach Prime and the Buffs are currently negative four when it comes to the portal. That total can fluctuate with the window being open for the next twelve days.
The McClain news felt significant for Colorado. It wasn’t a massive surprise considering he had been missing in action for much of spring ball and struggled early on in his freshman campaign. Head coach Deion Sanders wasn’t shy about expressing his frustration back in September.
Still, it’s a shame to see this didn’t work out, given the magnitude of McClain’s commitment for this program and its future when Sanders flipped the five-star away from Miami in January 2023. For the record, McClain had yet to officially pop up in the portal as of late Tuesday night.
Coach Prime addressed McClain’s departure, specifically, on Wednesday.
“I’m always in prayer for young men, and I want the best for them,” Sanders said. “And I pray to God that he goes to a program that challenges him as well as holds him accountable and develops him as a young man. Unfortunately, we weren’t the program that could accomplish that.
“So prayerfully that he understands that this is his second go-around and get it. Go get it, man. Because he has a tremendous amount of talent, but he has to want it.”
Deion Sanders spoke publicly about McClains lack of dedication to football and the team back in September, which led to decreased playing time for the Colorado Buffaloes on game day.
“Study, prepare. Study, prepare, be on time for meetings,” Sanders said in September. “Show up to the darned meetings. Understand what we’re doing as a scheme. Want to play this game. Desire to play this game. Desire to be the best in this game at practice, in the film room and on your own free time.”
McClain was able to flip the script late in the season, though, and become a key contributor. Sanders pointed that out when discussing his starting role down the stretch. With those three starts to close out the 2023 season, McClain finished his year in Colorado with 13 tackles and two passes defended as a freshman.
Six Colorado players who entered the portal on Tuesday had transferred in for Year 1: wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson, tackle Savion Washington, tackle David Conner, tackle Isaiah Jatta, defensive tackle Chazz Wallace and safety Myles Slusher. Two freshmen from Sanders’ first signing class — receiver Jacob Page and safety Jaden Milliner-Jones — joined those players in moving on.
Washington’s exit means the Buffs aren’t returning any of the five offensive linemen who started in their 2023 season opener. That position was quickly overhauled at the end of the season, with Sanders bringing in a new position coach and six newcomers for the spring.
Colorado Buffaloes And Deion Sanders Lose RB Alton McCaskill To Transfer Portal
On Wednesday night, another major hit came Colorado’s way, but this time it was on the offensive side of rhe ball.
Colorado will lose one of the highly-touted transfers from last year. Alton McCaskill IV, who took a redshirt year with the Buffs, will be hitting the transfer portal for a second time in his career, as first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He played four games with 14 carries for 59 yards at CU.
Deion Sanders opted for the yellow non-contact jersey was removed from the Colorado Buffaloes running back mid-way through the season, but he ended up on the shelf with a lingering injury. McCaskill transferred from the University of Houston and tore his ACL with the Cougars in April of 2022. He was sidelined throughout CU’s off-season conditioning last year and appeared to be back in full strength this year.
Alton McCaskill had a great freshman campaign with 981 yards and had 16 rushing touchdowns. His departure leaves CU needing another rusher in the rotation. While McCaskill is a player that could’ve been a one-two punch with Dylan Edwards, he’ll be giving his talents to another program.
Deion Sanders is no stranger to getting new talent to join the Colorado Buffaloes program — but if he wants this team to take a major leap in 2024 — he will have to fill these holes ASAP.