Since the early days of college football, players have always helped recruit new teammates. This week, Sanders took a different approach, stirring up some attention. As expected, critics had something to say about it, as they often do.

This week, when the NCAA transfer portal opened up, Colorado safety Shilo Sanders took to Instagram. He asked defensive transfers to hit him up and suggested offensive transfers reach out to his brother, CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

“I’m not sure,” Shilo replied when asked about the negative reaction to his post. “I just know that when I posted it, it was the first day the portal opened. As a player, winning more games increases our chances of getting noticed and drafted early. I just want the best shot at winning and getting drafted sooner.”

I’m gonna do whatever I can to strengthen the team. We’ve got a solid crew already. I just want to make it simpler for other guys to feel like, ‘Yeah, Colorado’s the place to be.’ Easy as that.

Just like all teams, CU has a recruiting team and coaches, led by head coach Deion Sanders, who put in a lot of effort in recruiting.

But sometimes, nothing beats players talking to each other to learn about playing at a school or for a coach. That’s why schools always encourage recruits to chat with current players during campus visits.

It’s all about player connections,” Shedeur explained. “Many players are ready to leave their teams, but they’re hesitant about entering the portal without a plan. I’ve heard from several receivers, tight ends, and running backs who want to join us. They trust player-to-player talks because I can honestly explain how we’ll use them in our offense and how I see their role.”

Shilo added, “We answer real questions.”

Shilo mentioned he’s received lots of responses from players nationwide after his post. Ironically, he didn’t really need to make it since Coach Prime’s sons are already well-known and often contacted by players across the country.

“You know, the big-name players in every team are like our best recruiters,” Coach Prime explained. “Sure, we have an amazing recruiting team, but if you saw Shedeur’s DMs, you’d be amazed. High-profile guys like him, Shilo, Travis, and Jimmy get calls from recruits all the time. It’s wild.”

Coach Prime mentioned that Shilo’s post started as a joke with the portal opening, but it turned out to be true. Players are really active in the recruiting scene, he said.

“Players bring in players, you know?” Coach Prime said. “Our staff does great, but players need that validation from their peers. They’ve played together in high school or all-star games, so they know someone who knows someone. That’s how it goes in recruiting.”

Notable

Charlie Williams, a former UNLV tight end, committed to CU last Friday. He’s 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, hailing from Aspen and previously playing at IMG Academy in Florida. Meanwhile, CU’s defensive end, Eric Brantley Jr., a true freshman from Valdosta, Georgia, is reportedly planning to enter the transfer portal after enrolling in January. He stands at 6-foot and 235 pounds.