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Coach Prime’s Latest Recruiting Strategy Draws Attention Across College Football

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 4:58 PM ET

Entering his third season at the helm, Deion Sanders has flipped Colorado Buffaloes football from cellar dweller to national storyline.

After a 4-8 debut in 2023, Sanders led the Buffaloes to a 9–4 campaign in 2024. It was their first winning season since 2016, capping the year with an Alamo Bowl appearance against the BYU Cougars.

Off the field, Sanders' patented personality and swagger have become key components of Colorado’s brand and recruiting pitch.

Last year’s offer letters paid homage to Louis Vuitton, literally featuring the designer moniker Sanders famously invoked: "I’m bringing my luggage, and it’s Louis."

This summer, Colorado escalated once more.

A recent video showed four-star cornerback Preston Ashley unveiling his official 2026 offer, a sleek box that opens to reveal custom trading cards of Colorado coaches, players and even a graded, 1-of-1 card of Ashley himself as the recruit-in-focus.

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Fans were quick to comment on Sanders' innovative recruiting approach.

"@deionsanders ... NUFF SAID!! ," commented one user.

"The fact that the staff has 3 Hall Of Famers cards in the package is enough," another fan replied.

"People hate on Deion but man he knows how to sell Colorado football," said one other user.

"Colorado sending the house on em," another commenter replied.

"That’s legit. Would make me wanna go there," one other fan responded.

"This is pretty sweet, NGL," said another user.

Brand Over Bag: Selling Identity, Not Just NIL Checks

Under Sanders, the Buffaloes have recast themselves as a culture-first program where, instead of NIL checks, recruits buy into an identity built on “Coach Prime’s” swagger, work-ethic standard and NFL-grade preparation.

In selling that identity, Sanders has populated his staff with respected voices from across the NFL, including:

Robert Livingston - defensive coordinator/safeties (Previously served as Cincinnati Bengals scout, defensive quality control/special teams assistant and secondary coach).
Pat Shurmur - offensive coordinator/quarterbacks (Spent 21 seasons coaching in NFL, including the past 11 years as a head coach or offensive coordinator).
Kevin Mathis - defensive passing game coordinator/cornerbacks (Nine-year NFL cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons).

Several former NFL legends also have joined Coach Prime's staff as assistants, including Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk (assistant coach/running backs) and Warren Sapp (defensive pass rush coordinator).

This emphasis on brand over bag provides a vision in which recruits can see a direct line from Boulder to the NFL, packaged in everything from custom trading-card offers to Coach Prime’s own social-media endorsement.

By fusing identity marketing with seasoned pro coaches, Colorado stakes a claim as the premier destination within the Power Five.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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