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Kyle Bonagura says that college football fans need to simmer expectations for Deion Sanders in Year 1 at Colorado. The ESPN analyst doesn’t believe a turnaround will come as quickly as many are anticipating.
Bonagura looks back at the Buffs’ uninspiring play as a member of the PAC 12, while also noting that a number of formidable foes await on the schedule. Achieving bowl eligibility may a better team goal, though even that could be reaching.
It’s no surprise to anyone around college football that Coach Prime has put an immediate jolt into the Colorado program. Since his arrival, the team is seeing improvement both on the recruiting trail and at the box office.
The Buffaloes sold out their recent spring game in Boulder, and they’ve seen skyrocketing numbers in merchandise and season ticket sales this offseason.
Much of the excitement surrounding the team comes from the talent that Sanders has been able to bring in. In his first recruiting cycle, Coach Prime secured the top ranked transfer group, as well as a top 25 class overall.
Some players in that class include starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders, former No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter, and five-star freshman Cormani McClain.
Deion Sanders has been able to both win over the fanbase and quickly elevate the roster. Now, he just has to prove it on the field.
That’s where one ESPN analyst believes the Buffs could struggle. Here’s what Kyle Bonagura wrote in a recent article previewing the upcoming season.
“Taking away the 2020 season for obvious reasons, Colorado’s second-best record in the Pac-12 since joining the conference was 3-6 (twice),” analyst Kyle Bonagura wrote for ESPN. “Let’s pump the brakes and watch an actual game before expecting someone who has never coached at the FBS level try to win games against several proven commodities.”
While Sanders did post a 27-6 record at Jackson State, Bonagura mentions that he has no experience being a head coach at the FBS level, let alone in the Power Five.
Making things more difficult, Coach Prime inherits a program with just four winning seasons over the last decade. One of those came in the shortened 2020 COVID season.
His 2023 schedule is shaping up to be a difficult one, with the Buffs facing USC, Oregon, Utah, and UCLA in PAC 12 play, as well as Nebraska and national runner-up TCU out of conference.
Deion Sanders undoubtedly has things trending in the right direction for Colorado. Bonagura is just telling fans to have patience with the turnaround.