Deion Sanders is not your typical head coach. His approach to recruiting has sparked controversy and raised debates when he came to Colorado. “My approach is totally different than many coaches’ approach,” he admitted. “I’m a businessman as well, so I try to save our university money every darn chance I get.” And yes, he saved some revenue for the Buffs but in a world where recruiting is the first step towards building a winning program, is his money-saving mode worth it?

Sportscenternext dropped Deion Sanders’ recruiting strategy on Instagram on February 19 which led to a 6-figure boost in Colorado’s finances. As per USA Today’s report, “Deion Sanders has saved Colorado $200K for not using annual budget for private air travel.” And this was possible because he “has not made any off-campus visits ever since taking over as head coach in Colorado.” This ignites a fresh round of debate about whether this unorthodox method is a stroke of genius or a potential Achilles’ heel for the Buffs. 

This is what Deion Sanders said about off-campus recruiting per ABC — “I don’t go to nobody’s school or nobody’s house. I’m not doing that. I’m too old to be going to somebody’s school, somebody’s house. All the kids that I’m recruiting, as a matter of fact, they in the (transfer) portal.” So far, his portal-heavy focus has worked in terms of bringing in talent. Colorado landed the No. 1 transfer class in 2023 and followed up with another top-10 haul in 2024. The 2025 class currently ranks No. 35, featuring 14 HS players along with 17 incoming transfers. 

For comparison, LSU HC Brian Kelly logged 257 off-campus visits between December 2022 to February 2024 while Nebraska’s Matt Rhule topped that with 486 visits. The traditional recruiting model thrives on face-to-face interactions with high school players, families, and coaches, something which Deion Sanders has completely abandoned. 

Yet, in an era dominated by NIL and the transfer portal, his strategy may be ahead of the curve rather than behind it. NCAA rules now allow unlimited official visits where schools can just pay athletes to come over and get a feel of the program. But Colorado is still sending coaches on the road for recruiting.

Does Deion Sanders have a higher motive?

Beyond his unconventional recruiting approach, Deion Sanders is bringing more and more NFL experience to Boulder. In 2023, he brought in veteran NFL coach Pat Shurmur followed up by Hall of Famer Warren Sapp in 2024. “Sanders’ assistant coaches have made off-campus recruiting trips instead just like other assistant coaches across the nation,” Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today said. “But another recent assistant coaching hire by Sanders signals his commitment to his different approach.” Name value coming into play?

This offseason, Deion Sanders made yet another big hire in Pro Football HoF Marshall Faulk as the Buffs RB coach. The concern is that he has no prior coaching or recruiting experience. “Maybe Faulk doesn’t need that experience, and his name will be enough to draw recruits,” Schrotenboer observed. “Especially if those players’ goal is to make money and move on to the NFL. Sanders seems to be banking on this. Colorado now has three Pro Football Hall of Famers on staff, including Sanders, Faulk, and Warren Sapp, a graduate assistant coach.” Could star power outweigh traditional recruiting?

It’s a radical approach that could redefine recruiting in the NIL era. Whether this model becomes a new standard or a cautionary tale, one thing’s for sure — Deion Sanders is doing it his way!