Coach Prime, the wrong man at the wrong time

[planosteve]

There has been a sudden shift in attitude within the Colorado Buffaloes locker room. While the initial hype surrounding Deion Sanders has dwindled, he has brought more than his "Louis Luggage" to Boulder. The urgency to win has increased as this season is expected to be the final one for Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, along with Travis Hunter.

Coach Prime has reiterated that he's not leaving Boulder with his kids, but rebuilding a program from scratch isn't his forte. Nor is fostering personal development among players. Many programs pride themselves on nurturing talent, but that’s not Prime's approach, and it's becoming apparent. He desires "ready-made" players who can deliver immediate results. It's not about gradually building up; it's about achieving success right now.

This approach has its flaws, and the foundation of Coach Prime's Camelot is starting to show cracks. What was portrayed to the public as an outstanding program is missing the mark. Sanders seizes the spotlight in front of cameras but then vanishes until the next media opportunity. Outside of these appearances, it’s all about promoting his products and services. The real question for those skeptical of the hype is why there’s constant turnover within the program?

Some players aren't suited for "Prime Time," or at least that's what the CU staff wants everyone to believe. But conversations with those who've left Boulder reveals the true nature of the culture within the Buffaloes program. A few former players have spoken anonymously to Athlon, fearing retaliation, if they went on the record.

"It's like a real-life Grand Theft Auto video game," one former player said. "There are many distractions with fights, guns, and money floating around. The environment is unlike any I’ve come from before."

Another former player went deeper into the violent incidents within CU's football program, recounting three separate alleged occurrences over the past year, each unfathomable in any normal locker room. This insight sheds light on what happened with former five-star talent Cormani McClain and why his experience in Boulder was negative.

"Cormani was taking a lot of heat from everyone," said the former player. "At the same time Coach Prime was saying he was in the doghouse and needed to improve, Cormani was getting bullied by Shilo (Sanders). After the Oregon State game, Shilo slapped him several times, which left Cormani screaming 'I'm going to kill you' repeatedly. After that, you could tell he wasn’t mentally there. It’s hard when the coaches you trust are calling you derogatory names on the practice field."

This violence often seemed to come from personal vendettas, but not always. Jordan Seaton, another five-star recruit, was allegedly bullied into "proving his manhood" and picked to fight former CU lineman Savion Washington. In April, the two were said to have exchanged blows, leaving both bloody. Witnesses described it as "two bears scrapping for food."

While bullying was also a common theme, there was another alleged incident involving a gambling debt between backup QB Colton Allen and wide receiver Kaleb Mathis. Days after the Seaton-Washington melee, the son of Kevin Mathis, who's CU's defensive back coach, was asked to pay Allen over a gambling debt in excess of $10,000, according to a former CU player. When Mathis refused, he allegedly proceeded to punch Allen repeatedly in the locker room, with players and coaches witnessing the assault. Allen allegedly refused to discuss the matter, fearing repercussions due to Mathis' connection to Prime’s coaching staff. Athlon reached out to Allen's father, who also denied comment.

Outside of the fights, which now appear to be spilling over to the field during practice with Coach Prime even encouraging teammates to square off against each other, the gun culture is troublesome. According to a report by Naples Daily News, Colorado commit Ebenezer Bouzi was arrested for allegedly threatened a girl with a gun six months before he was charged with misdemeanor battery stemming from an incident last year.

"According to the Collier County Sheriff's Office incident report, witnesses saw Bouzi forcing a girl, between the age of 16 and 17, into a late-model Ford Focus sedan by a male witness. According to the report, Bouzi, 18, grabbed the girl by the neck, and the witness "approached the car and asked the driver and the girl what was going on and the young girl was crying and upset."

"According to the report, the mother said Bouzi threatened her daughter with a gun approximately six months earlier and said she fears for her daughter's life." The charges were later dropped by the Florida State Attorney's office after a lack of evidence, according to public records.

Another Colorado player showed off a handgun while announcing his commitment. Chidozie Nwankwo had what appeared to be a Glock .40 on the table as he celebrated with Prime on a livestream. For the most part, the "flashing incident" went under the radar but has relevance to the type of culture being fostered behind closed doors. In fact, Prime and his staff took his players up into the mountains for a retreat this offseason. The theme was to bond over fishing and shooting guns at the range.

The turmoil within the Colorado Buffaloes locker room underscores the challenges of Coach Prime's leadership style. While the desire for instant success is understandable, the associated instability and violence reveal deeper issues within the program. As the season progresses, it remains to be seen how these internal conflicts will impact the Buffaloes on the field.

[jellowrestling]

This article is from August 2nd. You were cheerleading for Sanders a month ago.

[planosteve]

This article is from August 2nd. You were cheerleading for Sanders a month ago.

I don't think I was ever "cheerleading" for Sanders. I thought he was mainly a bullshit artist and it wasn't going to work. And I still don't.

[Mark]

He took a one win team to and made it a top 20 team with a bowl game appearance in two seasons.

[planosteve]

I was pretty neutral until the KU game when they fell apart. Next year is a crap shoot.

[jellowrestling]

Sure:

Deon Sanders to coach the Cowboys?
Postby planosteve » Tue Nov 19, 2024 9:12 am

That's being debated this morning on one of the TV sport shows. Colorado, Deon's team, is doing great. Only lost 2 games this season. Michael Irvin is talking him up for the job. Hmm

[Mark]

I was pretty neutral until the KU game when they fell apart. Next year is a crap shoot.

Lots of teams get blown out in bowl games. The number one team in the country got blown out in it's bowl game this week.

If your standard is that anything short of the national championship is a failure, then maybe you have a point.

[planosteve]

I was pretty neutral until the KU game when they fell apart. Next year is a crap shoot.

Lots of teams get blown out in bowl games. The number one team in the country got blown out in it's bowl game this week.

If your standard is that anything short of the national championship is a failure, then maybe you have a point.

There are 47 bowl games this year. You want to say which one you are talking about? Or are we supposed to read your mind?

[BigTex]

Skip Bayless continues to explore new ways to be wrong.

471416279_1143989784396388_1276536523624815066_n.jpg (156.64 KiB) Viewed 658 times

[Mark]

I was pretty neutral until the KU game when they fell apart. Next year is a crap shoot.

Lots of teams get blown out in bowl games. The number one team in the country got blown out in it's bowl game this week.

If your standard is that anything short of the national championship is a failure, then maybe you have a point.

There are 47 bowl games this year. You want to say which one you are talking about? Or are we supposed to read your mind?

Okay, so you mentioned a game against Kansas, and I assumed that was Colorado's bowl game opponent, since that bowl game (the Alamo Bowl) was Colorado's most recent game.

So to clarify, Colorado got blown out by BYU in the Alamo Bowl. That doesn't change the fact that Deion Sanders took a one win team, and in two years made that team into a top 20 team with a bowl game appearance.

The only other team I mentioned was the number one team in the nation. That was Oregon. They got blown out by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and were eliminated from the college football playoffs.

There are three games remaining in the college football season: The Cotton Bowl, The Orange Bowl, and the Championship Game. I'm betting two of the three end in blowouts. It happens.

[planosteve]

Lots of teams get blown out in bowl games. The number one team in the country got blown out in it's bowl game this week.

If your standard is that anything short of the national championship is a failure, then maybe you have a point.

There are 47 bowl games this year. You want to say which one you are talking about? Or are we supposed to read your mind?

Okay, so you mentioned a game against Kansas, and I assumed that was Colorado's bowl game opponent, since that bowl game (the Alamo Bowl) was Colorado's most recent game.

So to clarify, Colorado got blown out by BYU in the Alamo Bowl. That doesn't change the fact that Deion Sanders took a one win team, and in two years made that team into a top 20 team with a bowl game appearance.

The only other team I mentioned was the number one team in the nation. That was Oregon. They got blown out by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and were eliminated from the college football playoffs.

There are three games remaining in the college football season: The Cotton Bowl, The Orange Bowl, and the Championship Game. I'm betting two of the three end in blowouts. It happens.

I think that Shedeur was a bigger reason for the turnaround than his dad.

[Mark]

There are 47 bowl games this year. You want to say which one you are talking about? Or are we supposed to read your mind?

Okay, so you mentioned a game against Kansas, and I assumed that was Colorado's bowl game opponent, since that bowl game (the Alamo Bowl) was Colorado's most recent game.

So to clarify, Colorado got blown out by BYU in the Alamo Bowl. That doesn't change the fact that Deion Sanders took a one win team, and in two years made that team into a top 20 team with a bowl game appearance.

The only other team I mentioned was the number one team in the nation. That was Oregon. They got blown out by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and were eliminated from the college football playoffs.

There are three games remaining in the college football season: The Cotton Bowl, The Orange Bowl, and the Championship Game. I'm betting two of the three end in blowouts. It happens.

I think that Shedeur was a bigger reason for the turnaround than his dad.

So your position is that the QB gets the credit for the wins, and the coach gets the blame for the losses? Does that sum it up?

[planosteve]

Okay, so you mentioned a game against Kansas, and I assumed that was Colorado's bowl game opponent, since that bowl game (the Alamo Bowl) was Colorado's most recent game.

So to clarify, Colorado got blown out by BYU in the Alamo Bowl. That doesn't change the fact that Deion Sanders took a one win team, and in two years made that team into a top 20 team with a bowl game appearance.

The only other team I mentioned was the number one team in the nation. That was Oregon. They got blown out by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, and were eliminated from the college football playoffs.

There are three games remaining in the college football season: The Cotton Bowl, The Orange Bowl, and the Championship Game. I'm betting two of the three end in blowouts. It happens.

I think that Shedeur was a bigger reason for the turnaround than his dad.

So your position is that the QB gets the credit for the wins, and the coach gets the blame for the losses? Does that sum it up?

My position is that Shedeur is a better quarterback that his dad is a coach. And by a large margin.

[Mark]

I think that Shedeur was a bigger reason for the turnaround than his dad.

So your position is that the QB gets the credit for the wins, and the coach gets the blame for the losses? Does that sum it up?

My position is that Shedeur is a better quarterback that his dad is a coach. And by a large margin.

So you believe that at the college level, a good quarterback can overcome bad coaching to achieve a 9 win season?

[planosteve]

So your position is that the QB gets the credit for the wins, and the coach gets the blame for the losses? Does that sum it up?

My position is that Shedeur is a better quarterback that his dad is a coach. And by a large margin.

So you believe that at the college level, a good quarterback can overcome bad coaching to achieve a 9 win season?

I don't believe any general rules. It depends on who your talking about.