A new era of Colorado Football dawned when Deion Sanders was hired to be the new coach last December. This past Saturday, April 22, the immediate results of this hyped-up era immediately showed through in the form of overwhelming crowd support. That following Monday decisively put the Sanders stamp on this program, with an unfathomable number of players entering the transfer portal.

18 players departed that day, bringing the number of scholarship players who will likely be ex-Buffaloes since Sanders arrived to an absurd total of 46, according The Athletic’s Max Olson. Fans expected significant turnover when the high-profile football legend came over from Jackson State, but last season’s 1-11 squad will be very difficult to recognize. At least in terms of the roster.

Sanders- who has truly embodied the construction foreman role of this massive rebuild- encouraged several players to enter the portal, knowing that work would be tough to come by with all of the additions. 40 new faces have joined him in Colorado so far. Losing has uncomfortably become the norm in Boulder. Mercifully ending that trend looks like it will require many unfortunate farewells.

Hopefully, those will be followed by the introduction of a whole new mentality and atmosphere. Deion Sanders has had his share of doubters since he entered coaching, and they will follow him to Colorado football. But whether it be on the field with Jackson State or via recruiting talent for his new team, Prime Time has risen to the occasion.

The road ahead remains a gravelly one, so Sanders will need to maintain the same drive and grand vision that has been on full display thus far in the early stages of his Buffaloes tenure.