Colorado’s Deion Sanders says quiet part out loud about retaining talent in NIL era

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Colorado football fans knew that challenges would arise after Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year Shedeur Sanders entered the NFL last year, but the hope was that head coach Deion Sanders could use his star power and Hall of Fame credentials to amass more high-level talent. Those attributes have become neutralized to some degree, however, as the name, image and likeness era of college sports puts another obstacle in the Buffaloes’ path.

Sanders bluntly explained the difficulty of maintaining roster continuity in the year 2026.

“No, not if you got money,” the all-time great cornerback said, per On3’s Nick Schultz. “I’m sorry, I’m just honest with you. … That’s what happens in today’s [college] football. Guys, do your homework, man. Check these rosters. Check how many kids are coming in now, even in winning programs. … Winning programs, 25-30 [new players].”

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Although Coach Prime knows all about revamping rosters and scouring the transfer portal, constant change can be tough to endure. Sanders also understands the value of building a brand, but he is not interested in letting money dictate his program in Boulder. The man still wants to keep the emphasis on the gridiron, which can be impossible when players are receiving more money than ever.

“I look for mentality,” Deion Sanders said. “I look for love of the game. Like, when someone is sitting in front of me and they mention, ‘Coach, can we talk business now?’ Get out. Straight-up. I don’t talk business. I talk football. We have people that are very educated to do that. I don’t do that. So when they do that and they want to do that early on, that’s a red flag for me.”

Sanders will need Colorado to be fully invested if it is going to surprise people and climb the standings in the Big 12 Conference. Though, even if the Buffaloes have a successful campaign, there is a good chance they will be forced to navigate more roster turnover.

Welcome to modern college football.

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Colorado’s Deion Sanders says quiet part out loud about retaining talent in NIL era

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