Deion Sanders is now living amidst a wave of criticism and negativity in Boulder. It all started when the former five-star recruit Cormani McClain criticized Deion’s media-focused approach, saying, “I feel like I just don’t want to play for click.” Soon fans started questioning the legitimacy of Deion’s program, labeling it as “click-bait” due to their underwhelming 4-win season despite the hype.

Now, echoing McClain’s sentiments, Oregon coach Dan Lanning has taken a similar jab at Coach Prime. With ESPN cameras rolling, Lanning rallied his players by stating, “They’re playing for clicks, we’re playing for wins.” This wasn’t seen as a pep talk for the Ducks, but rather a harsh insult towards the Buffaloes. Deion responded to Lanning’s criticism, but now a Colorado running back’s confidant is speaking out, claiming Lanning had bad intentions towards CU.

Jesse Hicks fires back at Oregon coach’s “clicks” accusation

Micah Welch, a new 3-star running back for the Colorado Buffaloes, recently joined the team after playing under Coach Jesse Hicks at Baldwin High School. Hicks, a trusted figure for Welch, spoke out about the negativity surrounding Coach Prime and the Buffaloes program. He defended Prime’s honesty and addressed the recent “clicks” controversy sparked by Oregon coach Dan Lanning. “I coached college ball, I know it’s a bloodsport and I know what coaches say and do and Dan Lanning gave you just a sneak peek of what’s being said when the cameras ain’t around,” Hicks stated. 

While saying so, he also acknowledged that there has been similar behind-the-scenes criticism of Coach Prime but emphasized, “What Prime does, he’s an open book and he allows you in and so we don’t like truth.”

Hicks further continued to support Coach Prime, saying, “We don’t really like reality and the reality of it is those guys are good at what they do.” He also pointed out the negative intentions behind Lanning’s program, stating, “So instead of trying to get an example of what Colorado is doing, they want to beat it up, they want to find a fault in it.” Hicks isn’t the only one who accepts and supports Sanders’ way of using attention to build his program. Deion himself has recently talked about this approach.

Deion Sanders admits that the Buffaloes are playing for clicks

Coach Prime, in a recent interview on the Full Send podcast, addressed the controversy surrounding Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s accusations. Sanders pointed out the irony in Lanning’s statement, saying, “It’s funny how you say that, but the camera was on you when you say that. So who is playing for the click?” Deion further questioned Lanning’s motives, as it’s unusual for the Oregon Ducks’ coach to allow mic or camera access to the locker room. This led Sanders to believe Lanning might have been seeking his own moment in the spotlight amidst the media frenzy surrounding Sanders’ team. Thus he asked, “Did you hear any other speech that he made during the whole season? Who is playing for the click? This is really what I do.”

While Deion agreed to the fact that he uses attention-grabbing tactics to promote his team, it’s important to note that he’s also been very successful at it. He brought a lot of attention to Boulder and turned a struggling team with only one win into a strong competitor through his “click-based” marketing skills.