It's hard to offer NIL to guys like that. You gotta pay with those collectives. He don't believe in it...until he wisen up, these kids ain't coming when schools paying $50-200k a year for these positions.
Deion Sanders offered the Colorado job- Official Colorado season thread
- Thread starter Big Tex
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It's hard to offer NIL to guys like that. You gotta pay with those collectives. He don't believe in it...until he wisen up, these kids ain't coming when schools paying $50-200k a year for these positions.
He put it out there during his last interview, current players cost it’s point blank
Colorado players who are out of college eligibility after 2023
Jack Carlough
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
The college football careers of 13 Colorado players are about to reach their conclusion. If the Buffs can’t win out and secure a bowl bid, those 13 veterans will say goodbye to the college game following CU’s regular season finale at Utah.
While several current Buffs will likely enter the transfer portal in the coming months, Colorado is still expected to return most of its core group for 2024. Plus, we all know that head coach Deion Sanders will hit the transfer portal hard in trying to replace those lost.
Below are the 13 Colorado players who are out of college eligibility following this season:
WR Xavier Weaver
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Stats through 10 games: 65 receptions, 867 yards, 4 touchdowns
The former USF standout has been Colorado’s most reliable and consistent wide receiver this season.
OL Reggie Young
Stats through 10 games: 6 games played, 2 starts
When Savion Washington went down with an injury midway through the year, Reggie Young stepped up big in his place at right tackle.
OL Landon Bebee
Syndication: The News-Leader
Stats through 10 games: 9 games played, 7 starts
The Missouri State transfer has seen plenty of playing time at left guard in his lone season at Colorado.
OL Evan Kistler (walk-on)
Stats through 10 games: 10 games played
Outside of football, Evan Kistler is an Army ROTC Cadet at CU.
DL Leonard Payne Jr.
Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Stats through 10 games: 7 total tackles, 2.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, 2 QB hits
Leonard Payne Jr. played three full seasons at Fresno State before joining the Buffs last December.
DE Taijh Alston
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Stats through 10 games: 19 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, 2 QB hits
Taijh Alston, a transfer from West Virginia, has been one of Colorado’s most productive defensive linemen.
Edge Jordan Domineck
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Stats through 10 games: 39 total tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 3.0 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 4 QB hits
Prior to joining the Buffs, Jordan Domineck played one season at Arkansas and four at Georgia Tech. He should be a legit NFL draft candidate this spring.
LB Noah Young (walk-on)
Stats through 10 games: 1 game played (vs. Nebraska)
Noah Young’s college career also featured stops at Iowa Western, Utah State and Tennessee.
S Rodrick Ward
Syndication: The Coloradoan
Stats through 10 games: 48 total tackles, 1.5 TFLs, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass breakup
After not playing much early in the season, Rodrick Ward, a transfer from Southern Utah, has been one of Colorado’s best defensive backs.
RB Kavosiey Smoke
Stats through 10 games: 2 rushes for -2 yards, 5 tackles on special teams
Unfortunately, Smoke’s final college season hasn’t gone according to plan. Most of his action this season has come on special teams.
WR Javon Antonio
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Stats through 10 games: 17 receptions, 209 yards, two touchdowns.
Antiono’s best game of the year came at Arizona State when he caught five passes for 81 yards and a touchdown in the Buffs’ win over the Sun Devils.
LB Brendan Gant
Stats through 10 games: 5 total tackles
Injuries have also put a major dent into Gant’s final college season.
LB Juwan Mitchell
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Stats through 10 games: 32 total tackles, 2.0 TFLs
A late preseason camp addition to Colorado’s roster, Mitchell started in four consecutive games earlier this year. One of those starts was a 15-tackle performance against Colorado State.
Other Buffs who were honored on senior day
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
- RB Sy’veon Wilkerson
- WR Jaylen Ellis
- Walk-on TE Michael Harrison
- Walk-on OL Jack Seavall
- DE Derrick McLendon II
His dad has been talking shit about Deion all season
Dude opny got PT during the 1-11 season
He's not as good as he or his dad thinks
Man so many folks gonna be talking shit but it is what it is…
We know we’re held to a higher standard and have to delivery everytime…
We know some folks don’t like us just because, so when we talk our talk it’s even worse
Deion Sanders Has Three-Word Message for Players Leaving Colorado
Author:
Matt AudiletNov 28, 2023After a disappointing end to the 2023 college football campaign, Deion Sandersand the Colorado Buffaloes are gearing up for another busy transfer portal season.
Coach Prime knows some of his players will be on their way out — and he knows that's just a product of today's game.
"God bless them," Sanders said of his departing players.
"I met with a few players this past week," he said after the Buffaloes' 17-23 loss to Utah on Saturday. "We hope they plan on staying and some guys... You know, if they want to go, God bless them. We want the best for them. We want the best for all these young men."
After starting the year with a 3-0 record, Colorado lost eight of its final nine games to close out the season. Sanders' Buffaloes have already lost several commits, including four-star quarterback Antwann Hill Jr.
The NCAA transfer portal reopens on Dec. 4.
2025, bruh. Sheduer will be a senior next year. These decommits that wouldn’t even be in college until two years from now don’t mean a whole lot. I wouldn’t take any non-high school senior commit seriously in the first place. Social media makes this stuff more drama filled than it really is.He was never going to get any playtime.
Makes sense to me.
Why did he have on No. 2?
Man I think one qb last year probably was committed to 4 school before he finally signed…
That was just between his Junior and senior years… don’t know about before that
Coach Prime strength was hyped to be a great recruiter but that has not panned out. They only have 9 committed players in the 2024 class with none being a position of need.
So the criticism the buffs are receiving is warranted. Recruiting has been an absolute failure and no way around it
Ten names to watch for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Colorado’s offensive coordinator search
BY JAKE SCHWANITZNOVEMBER 30, 2023
Days after Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders was hired to be Colorado’s head coach, Coach Prime made waves in college coaching circles by hiring then Kent State head coach Sean Lewis to be CU’s offensive coordinator. Coach Lewis and the Buffs got off to a hot start in 2023 before Lewis was stripped of his playcalling duties in early November.
The writing was on the wall that Sean Lewis would be moving on to another school after the 2023 season and on Wednesday it was made official that he would become the next head coach at San Diego State. Coach Prime finds himself in a familiar position at Colorado after changing offensive coordinators every season when leading Jackson State from 2020 to 2022. Given the connections and reach that Coach Prime commands throughout the football landscape, it’s anyone’s guess as to who Colorado’s next offensive coordinator will be in 2024 but three candidates lead the way as the calendar turns over to December.
The Favorites
Pat Shurmur
Pat Shurmur was hired by Coach Prime as an offensive analyst in July and assumed playcalling duties from Sean Lewis ahead of Colorado’s November 4th matchup with Oregon State. Colorado’s offensive struggles were largely the same for Shurmur as they were for Lewis as Shurmur slowed the pace of the offense and sprinkled in as much of a scheme shift as possible. With his vast NFL experience and background, Shurmur gained the trust of Coach Prime and Shedeur Sanders and had success as play caller before Shedeur’s injury against Washington State.
Shurmur has certainly shown the on-field potential to be CU’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but the question is, how effective of a recruiter would he be given Colorado’s issues with depth and talent along the offensive line? Before this season, Shurmur had been exclusively coaching in the NFL going back to 1998 when he was the offensive line coach at Stanford. While his current relationships at CU and his NFL experience have Shurmur at the top of the list, Colorado must hire an offensive coordinator that will only boost their success on the recruiting trail.
Brett Bartolone
Jackson State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022, Brett Bartolone followed Coach Prime to Colorado to be the Buffs wide receivers coach in 2023. Under Bartolone’s tutelage, Shedeur Sanders put up video game numbers and led one of the best offenses in the FCS in 2022. Before linking up with Coach Prime at JSU, Bartolone was an offensive analyst at Nevada from 2020-2021 and played for Mike Leach at Washington State from 2012-2014 before injuries derailed his career.If promoted to offensive coordinator, Bartolone would assumedly mix many aspects and concepts of Colorado’s 2023 offense with his Air Raid background and success with Shedeur and Jackson State from 2022. Bartolone has proven success as a recruiter and developer of talent since arriving in Boulder but could also be seen as a coach who is still a few years away from being a Power 5 offensive coordinator.
Byron Leftwich
After spending four seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-2022, Byron Leftwich was fired in January and spent the 2023 season away from the game. Leftwich’s coaching career began in 2016 when he was hired as a coaching intern for the Arizona Cardinals under Bruce Arians. After earning a job as the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach in 2017, Leftwich was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in 2018.
Leftwich played quarterback for the Marshall Thundering Herd from 1998-2002 and was made the seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After starting for the Jaguars for four seasons, Leftwich served as a backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2007-2012. Leftwich has all the qualifications to be Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but his visit to Boulder during the early days of fall camp is why he is on the short list of favorites.
Current and former offensive coordinators
Brennan Marion
Brennan Marion is known for his “go-go offense“. The go-go offense features a two-back set with an emphasis on options, misdirection, unbalanced formations and vertical shots. Marion was the wide receivers coach at Texas, Pittsburgh and Hawaii before earning his first FBS offensive coordinator job at UNLV in 2023. Under his lead, the Rebels scored the most rushing touchdowns in the country (36) and finished 26th in rushing yards per game (187.8). Marion was one of the best JUCO players in the country before he became an explosive receiver for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 2007-2008.Dana Holgorsen
Dana Holgorsen became the head coach of the Houston Cougars in 2019 and compiled a 31-28 record before he was fired on November 26th. Prior to that, he was one of the most successful head coaches in West Virginia history and produced a 61-41 record from 2011 to 2018. Holgorsen also served as the offensive coordinator for Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State (2010), Kevin Sumlin at Houston (2008-2009) and Mike Leach at Texas Tech (2005-2007). Another coach with heavy Air Raid influences, Holgorsen has a proven track record and is a widely respected name amongst football coaches around the nation.
Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton has been LSU’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator since 2022 and was Georgia’s wide receivers coach from 2018 to 2021 while also serving as their pass game coordinator in 2021. He also coached wide receivers at Vanderbilt from 2015 to 2017 and Dartmouth from 2012 to 2014. As a wide receiver for Texas Southern from 1998 to 2002, Hankton set school records for career receiving yards, receiving yards in a season and most consecutive games with a receiving touchdown. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2003 to 2008. Hankton coached alongside Colorado’s director of player personnel, Corey Phillips, at LSU and Colorado defensive ends coach, Nick Williams, at Georgia. He has proven himself to be an effective recruiter of high-level talent throughout his coaching career.Kliff Kingsbury
Coming off of head coaching runs with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022 and Texas Tech from 2013 to 2018, Kliff Kingsbury landed at USC to be their quarterbacks coach and senior offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley in 2023. Kingsbury is another descendent of the Mike Leach and Air Raid coaching tree and has coached quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Case Keenum. He was an extremely successful quarterback at Texas Tech from 1999 to 2002 for head coaches Spike Dykes and Mike Leach and had four stints with NFL teams from 2003 to 2005.Longshots
David Shaw
One of the best head coaches in Stanford Cardinal history, David Shaw spent the 2023 season on the sidelines after he resigned following the conclusion of the 2022 season. Shaw’s desire to return to the coaching ranks is unknown but his extensive experience coaching in the NFL and college football would prove to be a tremendous addition to any coaching staff.
Eric Bieniemy
The Washington Commanders’ current offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Eric Bieniemy is a Colorado Buffaloes legend and served as CU’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012 under Jon Embree. As of Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season, the Commanders are in last place in the NFC East and could undergo a complete change of staff with the organization’s recent change in ownership. Given his prior history and checkered past at the University of Colorado, it would be a shock to see Bieniemy back in Boulder.Chip Kelly
Before UCLA’s 38-20 win over USC on November 18th, it was widely rumored that UCLA was considering parting ways with Chip Kelly. On November 27th it was reported that UCLA would be bringing Kelly back for his seventh season as the Bruins head coach but crazier things have happened in college football.
Ten names to watch for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Colorado’s offensive coordinator search
BY JAKE SCHWANITZ
NOVEMBER 30, 2023
Days after Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders was hired to be Colorado’s head coach, Coach Prime made waves in college coaching circles by hiring then Kent State head coach Sean Lewis to be CU’s offensive coordinator. Coach Lewis and the Buffs got off to a hot start in 2023 before Lewis was stripped of his playcalling duties in early November.
The writing was on the wall that Sean Lewis would be moving on to another school after the 2023 season and on Wednesday it was made official that he would become the next head coach at San Diego State. Coach Prime finds himself in a familiar position at Colorado after changing offensive coordinators every season when leading Jackson State from 2020 to 2022. Given the connections and reach that Coach Prime commands throughout the football landscape, it’s anyone’s guess as to who Colorado’s next offensive coordinator will be in 2024 but three candidates lead the way as the calendar turns over to December.
The Favorites
Pat Shurmur
Jul 28, 2021; Englewood, CO, United States; Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur looks on during training camp at UCHealth Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Pat Shurmur was hired by Coach Prime as an offensive analyst in July and assumed playcalling duties from Sean Lewis ahead of Colorado’s November 4th matchup with Oregon State. Colorado’s offensive struggles were largely the same for Shurmur as they were for Lewis as Shurmur slowed the pace of the offense and sprinkled in as much of a scheme shift as possible. With his vast NFL experience and background, Shurmur gained the trust of Coach Prime and Shedeur Sanders and had success as play caller before Shedeur’s injury against Washington State.
Shurmur has certainly shown the on-field potential to be CU’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but the question is, how effective of a recruiter would he be given Colorado’s issues with depth and talent along the offensive line? Before this season, Shurmur had been exclusively coaching in the NFL going back to 1998 when he was the offensive line coach at Stanford. While his current relationships at CU and his NFL experience have Shurmur at the top of the list, Colorado must hire an offensive coordinator that will only boost their success on the recruiting trail.
Brett Bartolone
Jackson State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022, Brett Bartolone followed Coach Prime to Colorado to be the Buffs wide receivers coach in 2023. Under Bartolone’s tutelage, Shedeur Sanders put up video game numbers and led one of the best offenses in the FCS in 2022. Before linking up with Coach Prime at JSU, Bartolone was an offensive analyst at Nevada from 2020-2021 and played for Mike Leach at Washington State from 2012-2014 before injuries derailed his career.
If promoted to offensive coordinator, Bartolone would assumedly mix many aspects and concepts of Colorado’s 2023 offense with his Air Raid background and success with Shedeur and Jackson State from 2022. Bartolone has proven success as a recruiter and developer of talent since arriving in Boulder but could also be seen as a coach who is still a few years away from being a Power 5 offensive coordinator.
Byron Leftwich
Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After spending four seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-2022, Byron Leftwich was fired in January and spent the 2023 season away from the game. Leftwich’s coaching career began in 2016 when he was hired as a coaching intern for the Arizona Cardinals under Bruce Arians. After earning a job as the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach in 2017, Leftwich was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in 2018.
Leftwich played quarterback for the Marshall Thundering Herd from 1998-2002 and was made the seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After starting for the Jaguars for four seasons, Leftwich served as a backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2007-2012. Leftwich has all the qualifications to be Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but his visit to Boulder during the early days of fall camp is why he is on the short list of favorites.
Current and former offensive coordinators
Brennan Marion
Brennan Marion is known for his “go-go offense“. The go-go offense features a two-back set with an emphasis on options, misdirection, unbalanced formations and vertical shots. Marion was the wide receivers coach at Texas, Pittsburgh and Hawaii before earning his first FBS offensive coordinator job at UNLV in 2023. Under his lead, the Rebels scored the most rushing touchdowns in the country (36) and finished 26th in rushing yards per game (187.8). Marion was one of the best JUCO players in the country before he became an explosive receiver for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 2007-2008.
Dana Holgorsen
Nov 18, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen looks on prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Dana Holgorsen became the head coach of the Houston Cougars in 2019 and compiled a 31-28 record before he was fired on November 26th. Prior to that, he was one of the most successful head coaches in West Virginia history and produced a 61-41 record from 2011 to 2018. Holgorsen also served as the offensive coordinator for Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State (2010), Kevin Sumlin at Houston (2008-2009) and Mike Leach at Texas Tech (2005-2007). Another coach with heavy Air Raid influences, Holgorsen has a proven track record and is a widely respected name amongst football coaches around the nation.
Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton has been LSU’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator since 2022 and was Georgia’s wide receivers coach from 2018 to 2021 while also serving as their pass game coordinator in 2021. He also coached wide receivers at Vanderbilt from 2015 to 2017 and Dartmouth from 2012 to 2014. As a wide receiver for Texas Southern from 1998 to 2002, Hankton set school records for career receiving yards, receiving yards in a season and most consecutive games with a receiving touchdown. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2003 to 2008. Hankton coached alongside Colorado’s director of player personnel, Corey Phillips, at LSU and Colorado defensive ends coach, Nick Williams, at Georgia. He has proven himself to be an effective recruiter of high-level talent throughout his coaching career.
Kliff Kingsbury
Coming off of head coaching runs with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022 and Texas Tech from 2013 to 2018, Kliff Kingsbury landed at USC to be their quarterbacks coach and senior offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley in 2023. Kingsbury is another descendent of the Mike Leach and Air Raid coaching tree and has coached quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Case Keenum. He was an extremely successful quarterback at Texas Tech from 1999 to 2002 for head coaches Spike Dykes and Mike Leach and had four stints with NFL teams from 2003 to 2005.
Longshots
David Shaw
Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw before the game against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
One of the best head coaches in Stanford Cardinal history, David Shaw spent the 2023 season on the sidelines after he resigned following the conclusion of the 2022 season. Shaw’s desire to return to the coaching ranks is unknown but his extensive experience coaching in the NFL and college football would prove to be a tremendous addition to any coaching staff.
Eric Bieniemy
The Washington Commanders’ current offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Eric Bieniemy is a Colorado Buffaloes legend and served as CU’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012 under Jon Embree. As of Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season, the Commanders are in last place in the NFC East and could undergo a complete change of staff with the organization’s recent change in ownership. Given his prior history and checkered past at the University of Colorado, it would be a shock to see Bieniemy back in Boulder.
Chip Kelly
Before UCLA’s 38-20 win over USC on November 18th, it was widely rumored that UCLA was considering parting ways with Chip Kelly. On November 27th it was reported that UCLA would be bringing Kelly back for his seventh season as the Bruins head coach but crazier things have happened in college football.
Man if he got Leftwich....Boy that offense would be humming...
Exactly. Keshawn said nothing new. That portal is going to open the flood gates of eligible players Prime can recruit.
Hell I think Brett would be solid also…
He ran the offense for JsU and they put up
stats
Former Colorado players were told they weren’t ready for Prime Time. They moved on but won’t forget
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Luke Eckardt recalled the excitement of finding out that Deion Sanders would be his new head coach at Colorado.After all, who wouldn’t want to play for the charismatic Pro Football Hall of Fame member and ex-major leaguer known as “Prime Time” during his playing days and now just “Coach Prime?”
“It was a feeling of awe because it’s Deion Sanders, and you play video games like ‘Madden’ and he’s on there,” Eckardt said in an interview with The Associated Press. “You’re playing with a controller. Now it’s different. It’s a real dude. That’s what I thought at first. But then it was like a seeping feeling of fear.”
At his first meeting with his new charges, Sanders told them no job was safe and there were transfers on the way. Video of his talk went viral. Eckardt chose to take it as a challenge and work even harder during winter conditioning and spring practice.
Other news
Eckardt practiced with the Nos. 2 and 3 offensive lines, got positive feedback from his position coach and thought he performed well at right tackle in the spring game. In his mind, he had done enough to stick around.
His heart sank the day after the spring game when a graduate assistant texted him to report to the football building. When Eckardt arrived, he said, there were 40-50 other players waiting to talk one-on-one with the coach.
In a meeting lasting less than five minutes in a room overlooking Folsom Field, Sanders shook his hand, thanked him for his effort and told him he would not be on the team going forward.
As Eckardt walked out the door, another offensive lineman walked in. It was Yousef Mugharbil, a four-star recruit in 2021 who had transferred from Florida after Sanders was hired. That’s when it really hit home with Eckardt that, truly, nobody was safe.
CLEANING HOUSE
By the end of the spring, Sanders had cut more than 50 players and another 20 left on their own in what is believed to be the biggest roster overhaul ever seen in college football. Sanders ended up with 86 newcomers on the 114-player roster, kicking off a season where the Buffaloes started 3-0 and were the talk of the nation for weeks before fading to a 4-8 finish, three wins better than last year but without a bowl trip.Most of the displaced players entered the transfer portal. Some walked away from football. And some more will leave the Buffaloes soon enough because Sanders has been adamant that there are more holes to fill. He promised to bring in more talented players after watching his quarterbacks, including son Shedeur, get sacked 56 times; only Old Dominion was worse across the 133 teams in the Bowl Subdivision.
Some coaches criticized Sanders for leaning so hard on the transfer portal to revamp his roster. Coach Prime offers no apologies, though he indicated he and his staff will be more targeted in filling needs this time around.
“Old Mother Hubbard went to the cupboard and there wasn’t nothing there,” he said earlier this month as the final stretch arrived before the early signing day Dec. 20. “So we had to fill the kitchen up with everything. Now it’s more directed and more accurate on, ‘Ok, we need three of those, two of those, one of those.’ We know what we want and we’re going to go get it.”
THE CASTOFFS
Eckardt landed at Iowa Western Community College in this city of 62,000 across the Missouri River from Omaha, Nebraska. He was the starting left tackle for the perennial junior college power that went 11-1 and is ranked No. 2 in the nation. He said it was a wonderful experience.“So far,” he said, “these people have been the only ones who have shown me that they really wanted me here.”
He is scheduled to graduate this month, and his next school will be his fourth since he came out of Spring Grove, Illinois, as a three-star recruit in 2021. He spent one year at Arizona, one at Colorado and one at IWCC. He said he is considering offers from Louisiana Tech and Eastern Kentucky and receiving interest from Utah State and Coastal Carolina.
Some 45 players who transferred out of Colorado spread out to 38 FBS or FCS schools, according to 247Sports. That doesn’t include players like Eckardt who ended up at junior colleges. A dozen players who transferred out are unaccounted for by 247Sports.
Oregon, Utah, UCLA and other Pac-12 rivals took in ex-Buffs. So did Michigan State, North Carolina State and Mississippi State. One player who spent his first two years at Colorado, Tyas Martin, transferred to Sanders’ last coaching stop, Jackson State.
Like Eckardt, Xavier Smith had spent a year at Colorado under the previous coaching regime. The defensive back from Atlanta was injured the second half of his first season and didn’t appear in a game. He initially was confident Sanders would keep young players like him to help build the foundation and culture.
“We all have expectations of a coach,” Smith told the AP, “and I just feel like those expectations weren’t met.”
Later, he added, “All I wanted was a coach to be honest with me and give me an opportunity.”
Smith played in the spring game, got cut and finished the spring semester at CU before accepting an offer from Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Governors play in the second tier of Division I football, the Championship Subdivision, and Smith said he found happiness. He was his team’s third-leading tackler and finished with 13 stops and two pass breakups in a 24-21 loss to Chattanooga in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Playing off Sanders’ hiring-day comment about bringing players with him from Jackson State and referring to them as upscale Louis Vuitton luggage, Austin Peay coach Scotty Walden said, “Hey, we thought there was some Louis falling out of Colorado (that) we found at our level. So it was awesome. Xavier Smith has been a staple in our program.”
Smith said he used what happened at Colorado as motivation.
“To me it’s like, ‘Who are you to tell me that I’m not good enough to play here?’ ” Smith said. “So it’s just proving people wrong and proving to myself and my family that I am who I say I am and that I’m going to do what I say I’m going to do.”
Eckardt is still trying to find his place. Arizona didn’t work out. Neither did Colorado. Iowa Western was his bridge to the future.
Eckardt said he hasn’t stayed in contact with many of his old teammates. Of his friends who got cut, offensive lineman Alex Harkey went to Texas State, linebacker Zion Magalei went to Northern Arizona and defensive lineman Shakaun Bowser went to Garden City (Kansas) Community College. Offensive lineman Jake Wiley left on his own and ended up at UCLA.
As for the few holdovers on the team, and those who came in during the coaching transition, Eckardt and Smith said they wished them nothing but the best.
“The Jackson State guys, they were cool. I liked them,” Eckardt said. “I thought they were nice people, they were great teammates. Shedeur is a nice person. He’s a good teammate, he’s a great leader.
“I just couldn’t care less about the coaches, I guess.”
So he does feel resentment?
“Yeah,” he said. “All my resentment is just for the leadership and the coaches and all that. I don’t have any anger toward the team.”
Eckardt’s parents, Karl and Anne, said they were worried about their son’s fate at Colorado after watching the video of Sanders addressing the players on the first day.
Their reaction when Luke called home to say he was cut? “Total shock,” Anne said.
“He told them if you don’t want to work, then leave. If you’re going to put the work in, then put the work in,” she added. “There was nothing said about put the work in but at some point we’re probably going to get rid of you. It was a harsh message that first meeting. But it did not convey ‘work your fingers to the bone’ like all those kids did and then they’re just going to drop them after the spring game.”
Eckardt recalled Sanders as cordial though he tended to ignore the players from the 2022 team. He’s still not sure if Sanders ever knew his name.
PORTAL TIME AGAIN
Noting that the Buffs made a three-win improvement, Sanders said progress was made this past season. Offensive line turned out to be the most glaring weakness — Eckardt said he believes he could have been a contributor if he hadn’t been cut — and greater depth is needed at nearly every position.Only nine high school players have pledged to sign in the 2024 class, according to 247Sports, and continued reliance on the transfer portal would seem a certainty. Not only that, but Colorado has recently seen two highly touted quarterbacks decommit in Danny O’Neil (from the ’24 class) and Antwann Hill Jr. (’25).
Sanders said he only wants to sign players serious about helping build the program and not mercenaries who see dollar signs from potential name, image and likeness deals. His son, Shedeur, has the top projected NIL value at $4.8 million, according to On3.com, and at least seven other players made at least $100,000 this season.
“If you come to Colorado to play football for me and the Colorado Buffaloes, (it’s) because you really want to play football and receive a wonderful education, and all the business stuff is going to be handled on the back end if that’s the case,” Deion Sanders said. “But we are not an ATM. You’re not coming here to get rich unless you really come here with a plan to go to the NFL and get your degree — not to come here and be Moneybagg Yo.”
The CU departures are under way again, too, with linebacker Marvin Ham among those hitting the portal along with tight end Caleb Fauria, son of former Buffs and NFL star Christian Fauria.
Eckardt said it would have been better if Sanders had let him go last December to give him more time to find a new school. He said he left CU feeling as if he and other holdovers had been kept until April so there would be enough players for the sold-out spring game.
“I didn’t think they were going to just make us do the whole charade,” he said, ”and then kick us off.”
I don’t like any of those names.Ten names to watch for Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders and Colorado’s offensive coordinator search
BY JAKE SCHWANITZ
NOVEMBER 30, 2023
Days after Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders was hired to be Colorado’s head coach, Coach Prime made waves in college coaching circles by hiring then Kent State head coach Sean Lewis to be CU’s offensive coordinator. Coach Lewis and the Buffs got off to a hot start in 2023 before Lewis was stripped of his playcalling duties in early November.
The writing was on the wall that Sean Lewis would be moving on to another school after the 2023 season and on Wednesday it was made official that he would become the next head coach at San Diego State. Coach Prime finds himself in a familiar position at Colorado after changing offensive coordinators every season when leading Jackson State from 2020 to 2022. Given the connections and reach that Coach Prime commands throughout the football landscape, it’s anyone’s guess as to who Colorado’s next offensive coordinator will be in 2024 but three candidates lead the way as the calendar turns over to December.
The Favorites
Pat Shurmur
Jul 28, 2021; Englewood, CO, United States; Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur looks on during training camp at UCHealth Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Pat Shurmur was hired by Coach Prime as an offensive analyst in July and assumed playcalling duties from Sean Lewis ahead of Colorado’s November 4th matchup with Oregon State. Colorado’s offensive struggles were largely the same for Shurmur as they were for Lewis as Shurmur slowed the pace of the offense and sprinkled in as much of a scheme shift as possible. With his vast NFL experience and background, Shurmur gained the trust of Coach Prime and Shedeur Sanders and had success as play caller before Shedeur’s injury against Washington State.
Shurmur has certainly shown the on-field potential to be CU’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but the question is, how effective of a recruiter would he be given Colorado’s issues with depth and talent along the offensive line? Before this season, Shurmur had been exclusively coaching in the NFL going back to 1998 when he was the offensive line coach at Stanford. While his current relationships at CU and his NFL experience have Shurmur at the top of the list, Colorado must hire an offensive coordinator that will only boost their success on the recruiting trail.
Brett Bartolone
Jackson State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2022, Brett Bartolone followed Coach Prime to Colorado to be the Buffs wide receivers coach in 2023. Under Bartolone’s tutelage, Shedeur Sanders put up video game numbers and led one of the best offenses in the FCS in 2022. Before linking up with Coach Prime at JSU, Bartolone was an offensive analyst at Nevada from 2020-2021 and played for Mike Leach at Washington State from 2012-2014 before injuries derailed his career.
If promoted to offensive coordinator, Bartolone would assumedly mix many aspects and concepts of Colorado’s 2023 offense with his Air Raid background and success with Shedeur and Jackson State from 2022. Bartolone has proven success as a recruiter and developer of talent since arriving in Boulder but could also be seen as a coach who is still a few years away from being a Power 5 offensive coordinator.
Byron Leftwich
Dec 25, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) with offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
After spending four seasons as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator from 2019-2022, Byron Leftwich was fired in January and spent the 2023 season away from the game. Leftwich’s coaching career began in 2016 when he was hired as a coaching intern for the Arizona Cardinals under Bruce Arians. After earning a job as the Cardinals’ quarterbacks coach in 2017, Leftwich was promoted to interim offensive coordinator in 2018.
Leftwich played quarterback for the Marshall Thundering Herd from 1998-2002 and was made the seventh overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. After starting for the Jaguars for four seasons, Leftwich served as a backup quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2007-2012. Leftwich has all the qualifications to be Colorado’s offensive coordinator in 2024 but his visit to Boulder during the early days of fall camp is why he is on the short list of favorites.
Current and former offensive coordinators
Brennan Marion
Brennan Marion is known for his “go-go offense“. The go-go offense features a two-back set with an emphasis on options, misdirection, unbalanced formations and vertical shots. Marion was the wide receivers coach at Texas, Pittsburgh and Hawaii before earning his first FBS offensive coordinator job at UNLV in 2023. Under his lead, the Rebels scored the most rushing touchdowns in the country (36) and finished 26th in rushing yards per game (187.8). Marion was one of the best JUCO players in the country before he became an explosive receiver for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane from 2007-2008.
Dana Holgorsen
Nov 18, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars head coach Dana Holgorsen looks on prior to the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
Dana Holgorsen became the head coach of the Houston Cougars in 2019 and compiled a 31-28 record before he was fired on November 26th. Prior to that, he was one of the most successful head coaches in West Virginia history and produced a 61-41 record from 2011 to 2018. Holgorsen also served as the offensive coordinator for Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State (2010), Kevin Sumlin at Houston (2008-2009) and Mike Leach at Texas Tech (2005-2007). Another coach with heavy Air Raid influences, Holgorsen has a proven track record and is a widely respected name amongst football coaches around the nation.
Cortez Hankton
Cortez Hankton has been LSU’s wide receivers coach and pass game coordinator since 2022 and was Georgia’s wide receivers coach from 2018 to 2021 while also serving as their pass game coordinator in 2021. He also coached wide receivers at Vanderbilt from 2015 to 2017 and Dartmouth from 2012 to 2014. As a wide receiver for Texas Southern from 1998 to 2002, Hankton set school records for career receiving yards, receiving yards in a season and most consecutive games with a receiving touchdown. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2003 to 2008. Hankton coached alongside Colorado’s director of player personnel, Corey Phillips, at LSU and Colorado defensive ends coach, Nick Williams, at Georgia. He has proven himself to be an effective recruiter of high-level talent throughout his coaching career.
Kliff Kingsbury
Coming off of head coaching runs with the Arizona Cardinals from 2019 to 2022 and Texas Tech from 2013 to 2018, Kliff Kingsbury landed at USC to be their quarterbacks coach and senior offensive analyst under Lincoln Riley in 2023. Kingsbury is another descendent of the Mike Leach and Air Raid coaching tree and has coached quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, Johnny Manziel and Case Keenum. He was an extremely successful quarterback at Texas Tech from 1999 to 2002 for head coaches Spike Dykes and Mike Leach and had four stints with NFL teams from 2003 to 2005.
Longshots
David Shaw
Nov 5, 2022; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach David Shaw before the game against the Washington State Cougars at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports
One of the best head coaches in Stanford Cardinal history, David Shaw spent the 2023 season on the sidelines after he resigned following the conclusion of the 2022 season. Shaw’s desire to return to the coaching ranks is unknown but his extensive experience coaching in the NFL and college football would prove to be a tremendous addition to any coaching staff.
Eric Bieniemy
The Washington Commanders’ current offensive coordinator and assistant head coach, Eric Bieniemy is a Colorado Buffaloes legend and served as CU’s offensive coordinator from 2011 to 2012 under Jon Embree. As of Week 13 of the 2023 NFL season, the Commanders are in last place in the NFC East and could undergo a complete change of staff with the organization’s recent change in ownership. Given his prior history and checkered past at the University of Colorado, it would be a shock to see Bieniemy back in Boulder.
Chip Kelly
Before UCLA’s 38-20 win over USC on November 18th, it was widely rumored that UCLA was considering parting ways with Chip Kelly. On November 27th it was reported that UCLA would be bringing Kelly back for his seventh season as the Bruins head coach but crazier things have happened in college football.
I saw that clip, I just skipped pass it..
Robbie have done that to me, just like them two other brothas Jason and Bom
I kinda hate to be like that but it is what it is