Colorado AD Rick George supports coach Deion Sanders despite players' mass exodus: "This is his way to do it"
(CBS SPORTS) - The first six months of Deion Sanders' first offseason as the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes have been eventful. He lured multiple stars to Boulder during his first month on the job including star wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders. That momentum has flipped over the last month when more than 40 players entered the transfer portal during the two-week spring window and over 50 have bolted since Sanders got the job on December 4.
However, Colorado athletic director Rick George is backing his superstar coach despite the recent roster struggles.
"I have confidence in him and his staff and they know what they're doing," George told ESPN on Thursday. "He's been very honest and forthright. He's been very open about it publicly and privately. He's trying to build a winner at Colorado, and this is his way to do it."
George referenced an NCAA rule that allows first-year coaches to essentially release players who don't fit on the roster of the new regime. He had that policy in mind even on the first day Sanders was on the job.
"Coach is doing what he thinks is best for this program," George told ESPN. "I support that. The rule is in place for a reason. It gives us the ability to do those kinds of things. Any student-athlete who doesn't want to leave, we'll honor their scholarship. We'll pay for it, and we've done that."
Sanders maintains that this unprecedented roster turnover was all part of the plan.
"We already know what we have coming in," Sanders said on the Pat McAfee Show. "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."
This offseason has provided the most player movement and flexibility that we've ever seen in the world of college football. The spotlight that Sanders has brought to the program brings even more scrutiny in the world of roster management for new coaches. Is Colorado the anomoly, or will we see this kind of turnover in future years? That remains to be seen. There's no doubt that the eyeballs that are focused on Boulder after Sanders' arrival make this one of the most intriguing storylines of the offseason.