New Colorado AD Fernando Lovo signals shift in Colorado recruiting
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Since being named Colorado‘s head coach three years ago, Deion Sanders has built the Buffaloes’ roster in his own way.
He focuses primarily on the transfer portal, with less emphasis on development and on high school recruiting. The results have not shown it to be a winning formula. More than half of CU’s class of 2025 will enter the transfer portal on Friday, and the 2026 class only has 14 commitments.
With that strategy, the transfer portal becomes a make-or-break proposition for Colorado. The Buffs’ new athletic director, Fernando Lovo, seems to view recruiting differently than his head football coach.
Lovo is committed to building relationships with Colorado high schools and strengthening the university’s recruiting ties with them.
One of Colorado’s nine board members, who oversaw the approval of both Lovo’s and Sanders’ contracts, spoke to USA TODAY about Lovo’s hiring and his promise to strengthen Colorado high schools.
Frank McNulty, one of the nine board members, said that Lovo wants strong “relationships within the state of Colorado and particularly with our high school coaches, not just for football and basketball, but for all of our student-athletes in the state of Colorado.”
What does this change mean for Deion Sanders?
According to USA TODAY, McNulty did not discuss Sanders’ or his recruiting strategy specifically, but since it is Colorado’s biggest sport, it most definitely is applicable.
“It’s important to me that the Univeristy of Colorado is active in high school athletics, that we support our high school coaches and that we build those relationships and appreciate this candidate’s [Lovo] emphasis on that and his commitment to it,” McNulty said at the meeting.
McNulty insisted that his comments were not directed toward Deion Sanders. Still, he wants to see “CU athletic programs being a viable option for coaches and student athletes in Colorado high schools. It is our responsibility and our opportunity as the state’s flagship university. Recruiting visits are certainly a part of it.”
Whether Sanders changes his recruiting strategy remains to be seen, but Lovo’s hire and McNulty’s comments suggest they would like to see a change in Sanders’ roster-building strategy.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado AD Fernando Lovo emphasizes high school recruiting
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