The Colorado Buffaloes aren’t entering the 2024 season with nearly as much hype as last year. After record attendance at CU’s spring game in 2023 (upwards of 47,000), that number was nearly cut in half on Saturday (28,424).
Still its the second-largest spring game crowd in the school’s history. However, its clear some of the shine has come off of Deion Sanders’ program following a 4-8 debut that started out 3-0.
It doesn’t help that it was a cold, wet day in Boulder either. But some fans have grown concerned about the number of Buffaloes players that have hopped in the portal over the past few months.
Sanders says he sees progress from Year 1 to Year 2 though — especially when it comes to the talent that’s now in the locker room.
“The progress that we’ve made is it’s another caliber player that’s playing, a player that truly expects to go to the next level, meaning the NFL,” Sanders told ESPN.com. “These young men want to practice. They want to have each other’s back. They want the physicality. They want all the smoke, so to speak.
“I love what we’re building in this locker room,” the coach continued. “And if you’re not a part of that thought process or that desire, you don’t fit. So now you see the gallop to the portal, you see that, but even with those guys, I wish them the best.”
Coach Prime also maintained that he doesn’t plan to follow his sons to the pros once their CU careers are over.
“I have work to do here,” Sanders said. “I absolutely love it here, and I would never think a young brother from the South would really love it in this part of the country, but I really do. … The fan base that we have here … I just want to really bless you with a tremendously successful team. I really do. That’s my heart.”