Former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh has urged Deion Sanders to reconsider his recruiting strategy as Colorado struggles on the field. The Buffaloes entered the discussion at 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12, following a 3-9 campaign in 2025.
On Wednesday’s “Speakeasy,” Houshmandzadeh said he believes Sanders’ reluctance to conduct in-home recruiting visits could make it harder for Colorado to compete for elite high school talent.
Thanks for the submission!
With rival programs offering substantial financial packages, the Buffaloes coach may need to rely more heavily on personal connections to persuade recruits and their families.
•
“I’ll tell you what, you ain’t getting the best kids,” Houshmandzadeh said.
Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!
He also argued that younger players might not appreciate Sanders’ legacy as a Hall of Famer as their parents do. Sanders’ personality could be a major advantage in the face-to-face meetings, particularly when Colorado cannot match the financial offers available elsewhere.
“If you want to start to get these kids, you better start getting on these airplanes and going into these kids’ homes because you’re not getting them because you’re not offering the most money. So your personality has to win them over,” Houshmandzadeh said.
Sanders has previously defended his decision to bring recruits to Colorado rather than visit their homes. In March 2024, he argued that families wanted to see his environment and learn more about his life. He also described the decision as a way to save the university money, insisting that traveling to recruits’ homes was an unnecessary expense.
Colorado’s roster has raised concerns. The team signed only nine high school players on the first day of the early signing period and relied on the transfer portal to supplement its roster.
Deion Sanders shuts down viral $50,000 rumor after Colorado’s losing streak
Deion Sanders has denied offering critics $50,000 to stop discussing him.
The Colorado coach addressed the rumor during Tuesday’s news conference after his friend Christopher Neely repeated the story on a podcast. Neely suggested Sanders had offered critics money to avoid mentioning him for a year, prompting social media users to interpret the claim as a genuine offer.
“I would never offer a man money,” Sanders said. “I don’t give a d*mn what you say about me. That was really a joke about someone prospering off of your name and your brand, but they don’t like you.”
Sanders originally made the $50,000 reference in May to argue that some commentators profit from criticizing him and his family.
Edited by Nishant
