Deion eyes bowl game as Colorado wraps spring practice

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A downpour Saturday hampered some schematic plans for Colorado's Black & Gold spring game inside Folsom Field. But coach Deion Sanders deemed his second spring with the Buffaloes a success.

"The progress that we've made is it's another caliber of player that's playing, a player that truly expects to go to the next level, meaning the NFL," he said. "These young men want to practice, they want to have each other's backs, they want the physicality, they want all the smoke, so to speak."

Prior to the game kicking off a few minutes after 1 p.m. local time, Sanders grabbed a microphone and thanked the Buffs faithful and gave a shout out to 99-year-old superfan Peggy Coppom.

"Our goal is, we're going to get you to a bowl game, baby. God bless you," Sanders said.

As was the case last year when Sanders brought in 69 new scholarship players after inheriting a 1-11 program, the roster turnover is again significant. Colorado, which went 4-8 in 2023, has had 20 scholarship players enter the transfer portal in April alone. The Buffaloes were so thin at running back for the spring game due to portal departures and injuries that they moved redshirt freshman defensive back Isaiah Hardge to running back for the day.

As he's known to do, Sanders smiled and promised reinforcements were on the way. Despite losing running backs Dylan Edwards and Sy'Veon Wilkerson to the portal this week, Colorado has added former Ohio State RB Dallan Hayden and on Friday received a commitment from former Miami (Ohio) RB Rashad Amos, who rushed for 1,075 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.

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In various interviews and news conferences, Sanders has repeated the message that "we're good" when addressing the players leaving the program. In the span of 36 hours, the Buffaloes received commitments from Amos, Wyatt Hummel, a former starting tackle at Villanova, Nikhai Green-Hill, the second-leading tackler at Charlotte, and two four-star high school recruits in LB Mantrez Walker (Buford, Ga.) and CB Alex Graham (Detroit, Mich.).

This came on top of having secured recent commitments from former Pitt DE Dayon Hayes, former Ohio DT Rayyan Buell, former Texas OT Payton Kirkland and former Ohio State TE Sam Hart.

Sanders said they're expecting as many as four more wide receivers and four more defensive backs in the coming weeks. He's looking ahead knowing that there will be another slew of exits to the portal now that spring football has concluded.

"I don't sell them anything because I don't have anything for sale," Sanders said when asked about his recruiting pitch. "I don't sell them dreams, I don't sell them hope or sell wishes. I tell them everything they get they're going to have to earn. I don't promise you a number, I'm not promising you a position, I'm not promising you to start. If you want it, come and get it. We don't sugarcoat anything, we're not going to baby you, not going to hold your hand."

Colorado is expected to field an entirely new offensive line after last year's team gave up 56 sacks, the second-most in the FBS. Since the end of last season, 32 scholarship players entered the portal, including high-profile exits such as Edwards, former five-star cornerback Cormani McClain and former starting left tackle Savion Washington.

"I love what we're building in this locker room, and if you're not part of that thought process or that desire, you don't fit," Sanders said. "Now you see the gallop to the portal. Even with those guys, man, I wish them the best. … I just want you to have a plan before you go. Don't just go. Just have a plan."

Colorado starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders said the difference between this year and last is simple: The Buffs are "getting quality guys."

"I feel like we got all the negative energy out the building, so now it's just a positive vibe now," Shedeur said. "There's no real complaining. We've got to go out there and play with a clear mind."

Meanwhile, his father, who earlier this week on a podcast joked he would like to one day see his own face or likeness carved into the mountains perched above Boulder, said Saturday that he wants to "bless" the Colorado fan base with a "tremendously successful team."

Deion Sanders also doubled-down on a comment that went viral earlier this spring when he said Sheduer and two-way star Travis Hunter were going to be future first-round picks.

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"Like it or not, we're going to have a couple guys go in the top five picks,"  he said. "I don't care how you cut it up. And the way we're recruiting right now, we may have several first-rounders."

(Photo: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

Christopher Kamrani is a college football enterprise writer for The Athletic. He previously worked at The Salt Lake Tribune as a sports features writer and also served as the Olympics reporter. Follow Christopher on Twitter @chriskamrani