Head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have heard it all this offseason with many wondering how a 4-8 team prepares for a jump to the Big 12 Conference.
Coach Prime will tell you Colorado is more than ready to make the leap, pointing to the Buffs’ whirlwind offseason strategy that was aimed at fixing their issues from last season.
Leading up to this week’s Big 12 football media days, The Oklahoman sports columnist Joe Mussatto examined that question and the uncertainties surrounding the other 15 programs in the conference. After asking if Colorado is ready for the shift (and vice versa) Mussatto justified why he thinks Coach Prime and the Big 12 have opportunities to surprise one another.
Here’s what Mussatto wrote:
After winning their first three games, the Buffs lost eight of their final nine. According to CBS Sports, of the 72 scholarship players (high school recruits and transfers) Colorado signed in 2023, 61% of them are no longer with the team. Colorado has continued to recruit well, though, both at the high school level and in the transfer portal. The Buffaloes signed five-star tackle Jordan Seaton to bolster their offensive line. Colorado added 40 players from the transfer portal — more than any school in the country. There’s no such thing as stability in college football, but what Colorado is doing is extreme even in this climate.
With the changes highlighted by Mussatto, it feels reminiscent of the completely new Colorado program the college football world had to prepare for during Pac-12 media day one summer ago. While Sanders’ star players proved themselves last season, the supporting cast must step up in 2024.
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