By Scott Salomon
What a difference a week makes.
After saying that Colorado would not enter into protracted NIL negotiations with top talent coming out in 2024 and that players would only earn money by working hard and making it to the NFL, Deion Sanders played hypocrite late Saturday night when he asked Buffs donors to open their wallets so that he and his staff could compete financially to sign big-named recruits.
"We're not an ATM. That's not going to happen here," Sanders announced. "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 will be handled on the back end if that's the case. But we are not an ATM."
However, after a 23-17 loss at Utah, where the Buffs dropped their eighth game of the season, Sanders was holding court and asking donors to contribute more money to the program so they could plug the many holes that they have, especially on their offensive line.
"We definitely need 'giving.' You know what I mean," Sanders said. "It's unfortunate, but some kids cost. We can sit here and talk about great coaching and great this and great that all we want. But, it's going to be a credit card swipe with all these guys going to these playoffs. I understand that."
With Colorado's season ending with a whisper and no PAC-12 championship or Bowl appearance, Sanders and his staff are hitting the road and recruiting players across the country that could take them to the next level. He is also waiting for December 4, when the transfer portal opens up, and he can harness some more talent.
"I could see around the corner tremendously. I don't just see what's right ahead," Coach Prime said after the game. "So, at the beginning of the season, I kind of saw around the corner. I think I kind of forewarned you guys after the Oregon game, 'You better get us now.' Because I know what we have in house. I know what we don't have."
The Coach Prime hypocrisy took shape when his two sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, earned big money NIL deals when they got to Colorado, and Deion used the NIL program at Jackson State to essentially buy two-way superstar Travis Hunter away from Mike Norvell and Florida State.
"I know we are lacking tremendously," Sanders said. "And that was a prelude to some things that kind of fell apart. They really dominated our weaknesses."
Just last week, Coach Prime said, "You're not coming here to get rich unless you're really coming here with a plan to go to the NFL and get your degree....not to come here and be Moneybagg Yo. That's a rapper, right?"
It looks like Prime is looking for donors to drop big bags at his feet, so in turn, he can go out and compete NIL-wise with the top programs in the country.
“You gonna be pleased with what’s coming; I promise you that,” Sanders said. “But everything that you see that we have a lack thereof, a deficit, we’re gonna fill that need.”
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