How many players were cut from Deion Sanders' team? Exploring the transfer drama inside Colorado's locker room after Coach Prime's arrival

There's no denying that Deion Sanders' arrival at Boulder changed the recruitment picture for the University of Colorado. The arrival of talents like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter proves that.

From having a 1-11 season last year, the Buffaloes' fortunes have turned around as they potentially have two Heisman contenders in their team.

We have all heard about how Sanders changed the game at Colorado, bringing 86 new faces, with 70 of them scholarship players. Reports claim that 57 of them came in on the transfer portal.

However, many had to leave the program in order to make space for fresh talent. Sanders had to spend as much time recruiting as he did separating the wheat from the chaff.

Colorado's Travis Hunter played 144 snaps on both sides of the ball on Saturday

How many players were cut from Colorado?

As per reports, 71 players from Colorado entered the transfer portal since Deion Sanders became head coach of the Buffaloes in Dec. 2022. Moreover, 51 of those players who were cut were scholarship players. These players were replaced by a new wave of Jackson State players joining Colorado.

This didn't come as much of a surprise as one of Sanders' first remarks after he came to Boulder was that after a 1-11 season players should "hop in that portal."

Back in May, Colorado's athletic director Rick George told ESPN:

"When [Sanders] first came in, he said, 'there's a lot of people here who may not be here,' because he evaluated and looked at the talent on our team, he's just publicly stated it, where a lot of people don't. ... Coach is doing what he thinks is best for this program."

On the Pat McAfee Show, Deion Sanders said it was essential to get rid of players who were surplus to requirement.

"We already know what we have coming in, y'all just don't know what we have ... There is no way we can put new furniture in this beautiful home if we don't clean out the old furniture. And that is not a shot."

While some might disagree with Deion Sanders' tactics, he has delivered so far. The college football world will wait to see if Colorado can keep up the momentum this season after a solid start.

Which players did Deion Sanders take to Colorado?

Deion Sanders took several top players from Jackson State to Colorado. Some of the big names include:

Shedeur Sanders

The star quarterback and son of coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur accompanied Deion to Colorado to lead the new passing attack.

Shilo Sanders

Star DB for Jackson State, Shilo has traced Deion Sanders' footsteps in earning a name for himself playing hard-nosed defense. Shilo Sanders accompanied Deion to Colorado and had an impressive season in the Buffs' secondary.

Travis Hunter

Travis Hunter made history as the first ever five-star recruit to join a HBCU. The dual threat weapon who can play WR and DB, made waves with Colorado this season as a premier target for QB Shedeur Sanders.