Mind of Mike: Shortcut Deion is failing

Deion Sanders doesn’t get it, and he never will. Why? Because he takes shortcuts and shortcuts are going to destroy his tenure at Colorado.

I’ve said numerous times that Deion could be one of the most amazing high school recruiters ever. He could be up there with Urban Meyer , Nick Saban and Kirby Smart and each of those guys won multiple national titles. Deion isn’t the level of coach those guys are, but he could have the talent to compete. His star power and persona would have high school recruits lining up if he recruited as those others did — in person. But he won’t do it.

Why? He’s lazy and he takes shortcuts. Deion the athlete was so magnificently gifted he didn’t have to work as hard as everyone else. Yes, he worked but 4.2 speed and incredible instincts are born not made. But as a coach, he wasn’t born with any massive advantages. Being a great player doesn’t help being a great coach.

The main shortcut I speak of are his reliance on the transfer portal. Once again, Colorado has a brand new team in many ways. The new running backs can’t run, the new offensive line gave up numerous sacks again in the loss to Nebraska and the new defense was solid in some aspects but still overpowered. New players every year doesn’t work. But you can’t tell Deion that. Recruiting from his office in Boulder and relying on transfers where the recruiting cycle is weeks instead of years is his approach and it won’t work. It’s not hard work and a lack of hard work doesn’t work. Nebraska showed them that.

So in year two, Colorado will be as bad as year one. The impressive talent of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter leads to some wins over teams outmatched in speed here and there but it won’t work with physical teams. Like last season, Colorado has good skill position players and are awful in the trenches and it’s embarrassing.

Narcissists can’t be told anything and no one will get through to Deion. He will ride this season out and follow his sons and Travis off to the NFL while leaving Colorado in worse shape than ever with zero high school recruiting momentum and a team of renegades who will bolt in the portal the second he does.

Some people were fooled. I wasn’t. Deion doesn’t want to put in the endless hours to be great as a college coach, and it’s showing.