What departing Colorado players and a parent are saying about Deion Sanders’ roster purge
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It has been a messy 48 hours in Boulder.
As of Tuesday evening, 23 Colorado football players have entered the transfer portal since Saturday’s spring game concluded, bringing the Buffs down to 16 returning scholarship players.
Head coach Deion Sanders made it clear following the spring game that his team would look significantly different come fall, but this mass exodus has been jarring. Players such as Montana Lemonious-Craig, Jordyn Tyson, Travis Gray and Jalen Sami hitting the portal.
On Monday, Denver Post sports columnist Sean Keeler exposed the “ugly side” of Coach Prime’s rebuild after interviewing Tyson’s father and departing Buffs wide receiver Grant Page. Below are a few highlights from that article paired with a couple of other noteworthy voices:
WR Grant Page
From the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler:
“I couldn’t have stayed (at CU),” Page, the former Buffs and Fairview wide receiver told me Monday. “I really wanted to. They said it was just best for me to leave.”
They?
“It was my position coach,” Page replied.
Page added his situation wasn’t unique among fellow teammates who also entered the portal.
John Tyson, father of WR Jordyn Tyson
From the Denver Post’s Sean Keeler:
“My thoughts on Deion wouldn’t be good, so I’m not going to say anything,” the elder Tyson, father of former freshman Buffs wideout Jordyn Tyson, another Monday portal entry, told me by phone.
“It’s a bad situation for us as a family, I will say that. And it’s unfortunate, but it’s the nature of the system.”
John Tyson had several other interesting quotes in Keeler’s column that I’d recommend checking out.
TE Zach Courtney
For the coaches who are trying to recruit me. I am sorry but I will not be able to get y’all my film from my practices last season since I am not allowed to have it because the head coach at CU won’t allow it. This is very unlucky and if you have any questions just text me!
— Zachary Courtney (@ZacharyCourtn11) April 25, 2023
Courtney’s tweet garnered some considerable buzz on Tuesday, and many of the responses pointed out that other departing transfer players such as Victor Venn, Tyas Martin and Andrew Wiggins shared their own practice film on social media, so it’s unclear exactly what’s going on here.
C Travis Gray
From The Athletic:
“He’s walking with me and said, ‘Hey buddy, you’re going to get cut today. I’m sorry to tell you this. I didn’t want you to hear it from Coach Prime. I wanted you to hear it from my mouth. I didn’t want to cut you, but we had to cut five offensive linemen, and you were the last one,’” Gray told The Athletic on Tuesday evening.
S Jeremy Mack
From The Athletic:
Did players like Mack have the option to stay and not transfer?
“I guess not,” Mack said. “At the end of the day, I knew I did everything I could in my control to play ball. I just took it how I have to take it. It was out of my control.”
Fans' perspective
Following the departure of another defensive starter, Colorado fans slowly realizing that unlike the spring game, the Buffs can't play 7v7 this fall.
It's 11 on 11. https://t.co/Zhcz6XZGnc is must read and @adamcm777 is the busiest man in CFB this week pic.twitter.com/9ID3KKd2fZ
— Bud Elliott (@BudElliott3) April 25, 2023
Some Buffs fans argue that Coach Prime’s roster purge is cause for concern while others are confident this is all part of the rebuilding process.
Further reading
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