"It's about the instincts": Deion Sanders' LB coach reveals big reason behind Mantrez Walker's recruitment

Deion Sanders recruited several players in the Class of 2025. Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis is probably one of the players who will have a lot of eyes on him during his debut for the Colorado Buffaloes. Another player who has been flying somewhat under the radar is three-star linebacker Mantrez Walker.

Colorado's LB coach Andre' Hart played a significant role in Mantrez Walker's recruitment. During an appearance on Wednesday's episode of "The Morning Run", Hart was asked about the reason behind Walker's recruitment. Hart said he is someone who believes in linebackers with speed and agility, but Walker was a more traditional linebacker.

"First of all, and I'm just going to say this because I got a little biasness man, back in the day, if you had a nick roll on, and you play linebacker, you knew one thing was going to happen. You was going to hit, he was going to strike somebody," Hart said. "So the physical play, just biasness.

"But to me honest with you, to answer your question seriously, instincts. It's about instincts. At the end of the day, being able to play the run and play the box and make them pass the ball, because we don't have a lot of stress most of the times... we can get back in the zone and sit back. You don't have to worry about taking anything vertical. So it's the instincts, at the end of the day that gets it from that," he added.

Last season, Deion Sanders helped the Buffs to a 9-4 campaign. They lost to the BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl but improved on their 4-8 campaign in 2023. "Coach Prime" lost several of his key players this offseason, including his sons Shedeur and Shilo Sanders. Furthermore, 2024 Heisman winner Travis Hunter also declared for the upcoming NFL draft.

The Buffaloes also lost several players in the linebackers department including Kahlil Benson, Nikhai Hill-Green, Johny Chaney and Tyler Johnson. So Mantrez Walker might have to step up this upcoming season and help fortify the Buffs' defense on the field.

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Mantrez Walker once revealed why he decided to join Deion Sanders and Colorado Buffaloes

Last year, the three-star prospect had a memorable spring game visit in Boulder. Walker got to meet HOF coaches and other celebrities in a star-studded environment. Despite having offers from teams like Penn State, Ole Miss and Miami, Walker committed to play for Colorado.

When asked about his decision after his commitment, the three-star LB said that being able to play under the guidance of Deion Sanders is a rare opportunity that he did not want to pass up.

"I just feel like it's the right place for me," Walker said via Coloradoan.com. "They showed the most love and I feel like they'll give me the best opportunity to come in and make an impact early. Being a part of a team that Coach Prime is coaching, I feel like that's once in a lifetime. A Hall of Famer coming back to coach a Division I program, that doesn't happen too often."

Sanders will be hoping to compete for the Big 12 title and a playoff spot in 2025. It will be interesting to see what kind of playing time Mantrez Walker gets during his freshman campaign.