Deion Sanders and Colorado currently hold the 65th-ranked recruiting class in college football with less than three weeks until the early signing period. Only nine players are committed to the Buffaloes.
Things went from bad to worse on late Saturday night as one of Coach Prime’s top recruiters made his departure official. Defensive ends coach Nick Williams is the third staffer to move on from the program after just one season.
Coach Prime —
Thank you for your unwavering guidance and support during my journey with CU Football. You have selflessly dedicated a significant portion of your life to helping athletes and coaches such as myself. I sincerely appreciate all the time and effort you have put into me and my career. I am forever grateful for all the advice and endless encouragement you have given me.
Your direction and wisdom has made me a better coach and better man.
I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.
— Nick Williams in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter
While losing a positions coach might not seem like that big of a deal, Williams’ role with Colorado was crucial to the future success of the program. He was one of the primary players on the recruiting trail.
Williams was the primary recruiter for three of the team’s top-four highest-rated commits in the current Class of 2024 and five of nine in total. It is a big loss and the Buffs are already feeling the impact.
All signs pointed toward four-star edge rusher KingJoseph Edwards choosing to play for Williams and Sanders prior to the weekend. However, once reports and rumors started to float about the former’s impending departure — and now that it is official — that is no longer the case.
Edwards skipped his official visit to Boulder this weekend. It is expected that Syracuse will make a big push. Florida State, TCU and in-state Georgia are also heavily in the mix.
If Colorado and Deion Sanders lose a four-star recruit to the Orange because Williams left… yikes!
There is still plenty of time for Coach Prime and his staff to figure it out. National Signing Day is not until February. They are no stranger to the transfer portal.
That does not mean that Williams’ decision to leave isn’t going to have a ripple effect on this year’s class. It already is, and it’s only going to get worse.