Deion Sanders' first few months as an FBS coach have not gone smoothly, and now many fans are mocking him for losing one of his best offensive weapons.
Shortly after an exhibition game, Colorado State Buffaloes wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig announced that he was entering the transfer portal. He had broken out in his junior season, amassing 23 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns:
In response, Sanders' son Shedeur, who is a quarterback at the school, claimed that he was in a "crooked world" on an Instagram livestream (video courtesy of College Transfer Portal):
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Twitter mocked him for the response, with one saying:
"Lol what a loser. Shreuder, not Montana"
Here are the top Twitter reactions:
Later, though, Shedeur said that he was just joking and that he was happy for his soon-to-be ex-schoolmate:
Whether Shedeur Sanders is joking or not, Lemonious-Craig is not the only big offensive loss for Colorado.
Fellow wide receiver Chase Sowell, who had two catches for 23 yards as a freshman, also announced that he was entering the transfer portal, putting "Coach Prime" in an awkward position when it comes to his team's passing game:
What is the NCAA's transfer portal, and how does it benefit college athletes?
Launched in 2018, the NCAA's transfer portal makes it easier for student-athletes to switch schools.
What happens is that after a student-athlete first declares their intent to transfer, their current school must enter them in an online database within two business days. Once the student-athlete enters the database, other schools can court them.
The prevailing thought behind the system is that student-athletes get to publicize the school they want to play for, like free agency in pro sports.
The transfer portal system was amended in 2021, allowing student-athletes in football, basketball and a few other sports to play for a new school without sitting out a year beforehand. 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams was one of the first beneficiaries of the rule change, and Shedeur Sanders has also used it to rejoin his father at Colorado.
What are Shedeur Sanders' college stats?
In two years with the Jacksonville State Gamecocks, Shedeur Sanders amassed a very impressive resume.
As a freshman, he threw for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns against just eight interceptions and also rushed for three touchdowns. In the process, he became the first player from an HBCU (historically black college and university) to win the Jerry Rice Award (FCS college rookie of the year).
He fared even better in 2022, throwing for over 3,000 yards again and 40 touchdowns. He also rushed for positive yardage for the first time, and had six touchdowns on the ground. After the season, he used the transfer portal to reunite with his dad and coach Deion at Colorado, as mentioned above.