Lack of transfer portal success played key role in CU Buffs struggles this season

As a former baseball participant Deion Sanders knows all about swinging and missing Sanders was a hitter in the Major Leagues not great but good enough to play at the highest level for nine years in a sport where the best hitters still fail of the time That type of success rate won t cut it when shopping for players in college football s transfer portal however There are numerous reasons why the Colorado football company is limping to Saturday s finish line and a trip to Kansas State for the season finale a m MT FS but the lack of success in the transfer portal might top the list Related Articles Renck CSU shows it is serious about football with home-run hire of Jim Mora Keeler CU Buffs Deion Sanders changed the encounter But can he win without Shedeur at QB CSU announces hiring of UConn s Jim Mora Press conference scheduled for Monday CU Buffs Deion Sanders elects to sit QB JuJu Lewis for finale preserving redshirt Shedeur Sanders finds success in long-awaited first NFL start The strategy a year ago was the same strategy it was for reported Sanders the third-year head coach of the Buffaloes And you hit on your portal guys in you hit on your freshman guys This year you hit on your freshmen to me a few of them and you missed on your portal So that s why we re sitting where we sit At - - Big CU is riding a four-game losing streak and goes into Saturday as a -point underdog Lose to the Wildcats - - and it ll be the Buffs worst record under Sanders who is - at CU Injuries piled up this year There were questionable coaching decisions at times especially in a few close losses early in the year But ultimately CU didn t get the type of production it expected from the players it signed as transfers last offseason It s not like you didn t have a strategic plan Sanders disclosed You had a strategic plan You missed Sometimes that happens And I m going to take responsibility Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter talks to an official before the match against Arizona in Nov at Folsom Field in Boulder Colorado Photo by Cliff Grassmick Staff Photographer When CU went - in it was led by a plethora of big-time transfers including Sanders sons Shedeur quarterback and Shilo safety and Heisman Trophy-winning cornerback receiver Travis Hunter Others such as receivers LaJohntay Wester Jimmy Horn Jr and Will Sheppard defensive linemen Chidozie Nwankwo and Shane Cokes defensive ends BJ Green Arden Walker and Keaten Wade linebackers LaVonta Bentley and Nikhai Hill-Green and defensive backs Preston Hodge DJ McKinney and Cam Ron Silmon-Craig all played vital roles including starring roles Like he did last year Sanders built this year s roster mainly through the portal The success rate however wasn t nearly the same Headlining the transfer group was quarterback Kaidon Salter a fifth-year senior from Liberty who was the Conference USA the majority valuable sportsman in Salter has had various good moments playing exceptionally well in wins against Wyoming and Iowa State But he hasn t been a great fit for the Buffs offense overall Salter was benched for a event early in the year regained his starting job and then was benched after a miserable first half in a - loss to Arizona on Nov After sitting the past two games Salter will start the finale though CU loaded up on defensive line transfers including Gavriel Lightfoot Fresno State and Tavian Coleman Texas State who have played a combined five games all by Coleman because of injury Another defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis Alabama came in with a lot of hype but has started just three games and hasn t produced as expected Linebackers Martavius French UTSA and Reginald Hughes Jacksonville State came to CU after all-conference seasons at their previous schools French was benched midseason and Hughes has been in a backup role at times too Other transfers such as running backs Simeon Price Coastal Carolina and DeKalon Taylor Incarnate Word and receiver Hykeem Williams Florida State played well early in the year but have missed preponderance of the season with injuries Colorado defensive back Tawfiq Byard celebrates a pass break up intended for Utah tight end Dallen Bentley during the first half an NCAA college football encounter Saturday Oct in Salt Lake City Utah AP Photo Tyler Tate CU did hit on several transfers though Receivers Joseph Williams Tulsa and Sincere Brown Campbell have had big moments Tight end Zach Atkins Northwest Missouri State has played well Guards Xavier Hill Memphis and Zy Crisler Illinois as well as center Zarian McGill Louisiana Tech have been stalwarts on an improved offensive line And Larry Johnson III Tennessee has started majority of of the year at right tackle Defensively Tawfiq Byard South Florida has been a leader while John Slaughter Tennessee has played well of late Kicker Buck Buchanan Louisiana Tech and punter Damon Greaves Kansas have had good seasons as well The success rate just wasn t high enough for CU to win as it had hoped and expected Sanders stated he enjoys the roster building process immensely but admitted that being away from the company all summer while he battled bladder cancer hampered the process I m not making excuses by any means but I missed a little bit of that he commented Feeling healthier Sanders is looking forward to rebuilding the Buffs this offseason especially after the portal window opens Jan I really look forward to it and meeting with those guys interviewing those guys making sure that their countenance their desire their want their fire matches with what we have here or can enhance what we have here he mentioned You ve just got to make sure that person is the right guy and they really want this to want this and not want this for a check Those checks will matter though as teams around the country buy players Teams with the majority money will get the best players Others such as CU have to be smart with their money and find certain diamonds in the rough You may not accomplish everything you need to because it takes a lot of money Sanders explained So you may not be able to do that but you re going to do what you re capable of doing to heal chosen woes that you have and a lot of that is up front on the offensive and defensive lines A lot of that is on the defensive side of the ball It will take a lot of work and money to fix the Buffs roster for but Sanders is confident he and his staff can get it right this year because they ve done it before I don t break glass in situation of emergency he explained I know how to get it right I ll get it right We know what direction we want to go and we re going to get there We just didn t get it right last year I can t wait to sit down I can t wait until this darn portal opens I can t wait to see what we re going to come up with by the conclusion of signing day