"Deion did it the right way": CFB insider hails Coach Prime's handling on NIL & transfer portal after Colorado's successful season

Deion Sanders has blazed his trail since taking over Colorado's program. He arrived in Boulder talking about how he was bringing his luggage with him, a comment many thought was brash at the time. But Coach Prime has fostered a winning culture with the Buffaloes.

Succeeding in the transfer portal has had a big part in Sanders getting it done on the field. CBS Sports' Adam Breneman touched on Sanders' tactics that have led to the Buffaloes' rise last season.

"The NIL, (transfer) portal has changed everything completely in college sports, so everyone was kind of starting over," Breneman said on Monday. "No one had a manual for how to handle NIL and the portal, and Deion did it the right way. Listen, he built the excitement, he built the energy, he said, 'We are going to win.' And then he went and rebuilt his roster.

"Being able to do it with your sons, as well, is really special, and the fact that of all the attention the last couple years and all the eyeballs on Deion and Shedeur, very little off-the-field issues. ... The fact that, if there was negativity, it was all manufactured, shows that Deion is a great leader."

How has Coach Prime built his program in Colorado?

Fostering a culture was the first part of Coach Prime getting things going with the Buffaloes. The buzz surrounding his arrival helped attract what was needed to get the program back on track after a 1-11 showing before he got there.

"The job Deion has done of not just building excitement," Breneman said. "He's brought a culture of winning. He's established what it means to be a Colorado Buff. Competely changed the vibe around that program. And, I think, in the beginning, he brought the excitement. In the beginning, he brought the energy, but now he has brought results – and that's the most important piece to the whole thing."

Before this season, Coach Prime and the Buffaloes lost a few players to the transfer portal, including former five-star cornerback Cormani McClain and running back Alton McCaskill, the 2021 AAC Rookie of the Year.

"I think we got some (starting-caliber players) coming in from visits pretty soon, maybe even this weekend, but we can atttract those type of players," Coach Prime said then. "I don't think we're losing those type of players, and if we do, we're good. We're good. We're making a big deal out of nothing."

This season, with Sanders' son, Shedeur Sanders, at quarterback and two-way star Travis Hunter starring, Colorado went 9-4, appearing in the Alamo Bowl against No. 17 BYU. That was a step in the right direction for the Buffaloes.