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A former Colorado Buffs football player has accused a recent member of Deion Sanders’ coaching staff of “sabotage.” He claims the assistant refused to recruit in-state talent.
Matt McChesney believes Corey Phillips blatantly dismissed local prospects over his own personal feelings. He supposedly passed on certain players connected to the Colorado alum.
McChesney played defensive end in Boulder from 2000-2004. He earned Big 12 All-Conference honors as a senior after leading the Buffs in sacks.
Following a brief NFL career, he got into coaching. Currently, he’s a self-described “recruiting and placement specialist” on top of his duties as a coach and podcaster.
McChesney’s played a part in helping high school athletes find college homes, including some at his alma mater. Those players will not be found in the last few Colorado recruiting cycles.
“I’m so disgusted and distraught with what happened over the last couple of days. To find out the university that I f— love and played for, and that I’ve sent so many guys to play for in the past, to find out that (a coach) is sabotaging s— from the inside…
“Do you know how many good f— players they’ve f—- missed on? If I’m Coach Prime, I’m the angriest human being alive… I will never forget this. I’m disgusted by it… I’m professional enough to move onto the next guy… but I’m telling you right now, it’s the most negligent thing I’ve ever been associated with…
“They put emotions and feelings (play into it)… (They treated) the kids from Colorado like they were f— nobodies.”
Did Colorado refuse to recruit in-state football players?
There is a lacking presence of local high school products on the current roster. The 2026 recruiting class boasts one signee from the state.
The 2025, 2024, and 2023 cycles have a combined two in-state prospects.
The majority of Colorado’s recruits under the current regime hail from places like Florida, Georgia, and Texas. Deion Sanders has emphasized the transfer portal while expanding his program’s recruiting territory.
The Buffs recruit coast to coast. The state of Colorado, not known as a prospect hotbed, has hit the back burner.
But was there a push to avoid certain players, or was the staff simply identifying more highly prospects in outside areas? Some around the program believe the head of recruiting caused unnecessary drama behind the scenes.
Who is Corey Phillips?
Phillips was the Buffs’ head of recruiting over the last three seasons. He played an instrumental role in constructing the roster, particularly in Deion Sanders‘ recent absence as he battled health issues.
There is a belief that Phillips refused to target players connected to Matt McChesney, even those that members of the coaching staff showed interest in.
McChesney blasted the recruiting director for supposedly stringing those prospects along. Luckily, the former Buff will no longer have to deal with Phillips.
A Tennessee native, he accepted a role as General Manager at Memphis this offseason. Darrius Darden-Box will take Phillips’ place in Boulder.
It will be interesting to see if the program looks harder at in-state players under new leadership.