It would be safe to assume that Deion Sanders has dealt with his fair share of negative recruiting during his brief stint as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Heck, we know that opposing coaches were sharing tips on how to beat Colorado in the season. That type of stuff happens on the recruiting trail as well. Coaches will talk down on other programs or even on other coaches to sway a recruit in their direction.
It's a bit taboo, but it's called "negative recruiting" and it happens — especially to coaches like Sanders who seem to make their reputation off of hype.
Would it surprise you to hear that Coach Prime has called out his detractors on the recruiting trail, though? Of course, it wouldn't. There's seemingly nothing off-limits in his universe, and you get the sense that he likes it that way.
Recently talking with Robert Griffin III, the Colorado head coach revealed that he's seen proof of coaches trash-talking him to recruits.
The source of that info? The recruits themselves.
"Kids have recorded conversations with head coaches — not just assistants — head coaches...downing us and selling us out...and just talking about us like a dog," Sanders told RGIII.
Coach Prime says that recruits have recorded conversations from Head Coaches, “downing” Coach Prime to try and lift themselves up #SkoBuffs #WeComing
— SAMTI⬛ (@LJSZN) January 18, 2024
FULL VIDEO: https://t.co/excXxOriow@DeionSanders @DeionSandersJr @RGIII @rg3andtheones pic.twitter.com/BFynoHyEcQ
Coach Prime explained that he called those coaches to fill them in because he knew what they were saying.
"'Be careful, because when these kids bring phones into your meeting room, you're exposed to certain things. I'm not going to put you out there, but just keep my name out of your mouth.' I've had that conversation," Sander said.
Unfortunately for Sanders, while he has done a great job of recruiting at Colorado, his results in year one left something to be desired. If coaches are slamming his on-field product, he may not have much to say in the form of a rebuttal.
After a red-hot start that saw the Buffs start 3-0 with a win over No. 17 TCU (last season's national champion runner-up), Colorado finished the season with a 4-8 record.
Prime lost eight of his last nine games.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!