13 University of Colorado Boulder Football Players Look for Other Schools After Deion Sanders Hired

Hiring former Jackson State University football Coach, Deion Sanders was supposed to be good news for the University of Colorado Boulder’s football team— but not for 13 students.

At least 13 students from the class of 2023 had their scholarships revoked after Sanders was hired. At the press conference where he announced his hiring, the head coach told the players in attendance that some of them should enter the transfer portal because he was bringing players with him. Sanders had already announced that he was bringing his son, Shedeur Sanders as his starting quarterback.

One of the players whose scholarship was revoked, defensive end Carson Mott, said he was informed via phone earlier this month. “It was a huge mess,” Mott told The Athletic. “I actually never got contacted by Deion or any of his new staff. I got called. They told me that coach Deion didn’t want to honor my commitment and hung up the phone.”

Offensive lineman for the Colorado Buffaloes, Tyrone McDuffie, also said he felt he was misled by the school’s athletic director, Rick George.

“[George] called me and my dad and he [said he] wanted the 2023 class to stay together. He said I was going to have a chance to be a Colorado Buffalo regardless of who he hired,” said McDuffie, who is staying on the team despite being recruited by the head coach who Sanders replaced, Karl Donnell. “Nobody from the new coaching staff called me. You could say there was a little bit of anger, frustration. This was our future they were messing with.”

Sanders is heading to the University of Colorado Boulder after leading Jackson State University to the SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference) championship for the past two seasons.