Deion Sanders’ Colorado Squad Sees Mass Transfer Exodus

In the two days since Colorado’s spring football game, the program has faced a mass exodus of players. As of this article, 17 players have entered the transfer portal over the past 48 hours. Head coach Deion Sanders is facing a roster crisis.

Leading the departure list is wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, who dominated the spring game by catching three passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Lemonious-Craig was the team’s second leading receiver in 2022 and had seemed to develop a solid rapport with new quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the head coach’s son. The team’s leading receiver from 2022, Jordyn Tyson, also entered the portal on Monday.

The current list of players who have jumped ship:
Jackson Anderson, OL
Aaron Austin, DL
Shakaun Bowser, LB
Devin Grant, LB
Alex Harkey, OL
Montana Lemonious-Craig, WR
Jason Oliver, CB
Grant Page, WR
Oakie Salave’a, DB
Aubrey Smith, LB
Xavier Smith, DB
Deion Smith, RB
Chase Sowell, WR
Tyrin Taylor, DB
Jordyn Tyson, WR
Victor Venn, RB
Jeremy Mack, DB

Tyson and Lemonious-Craig rank as four-star transfers, most of the rest of that list rank as three-stars according to 247Sports. Even if those players are below the level Sanders wants for the program, it’s still a mass talent drain on a program looking for a quick turnaround. When 17 players bolt an 85 man roster after spring practice, there’s something seriously wrong.

Can Sanders get the Buffaloes to play college football at the top level? Not with a decimated roster.