Sports
Deion Sanders still isn’t hitting recruiting trail, but has Colorado coach changed approach?
Deion Sanders signed future Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter — the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit — to Jackson State without ever stepping foot on his high school campus.
No one on his staff visited, either. It was unprecedented, an unthinkable recruiting victory that established Sanders as a force in the sport.
But now entering his sixth season as a college coach and third season at Colorado, Sanders has a recruiting approach that has grown more traditional as his program has matured. No, Sanders still isn’t making home or school visits, a much discussed choice that is believed to have made him the only one of 136 FBS coaches to have never made off-campus contact with recruits. Even new North Carolina coach Bill Belichick is making the rounds.
But in two seasons, Sanders went from taking the most transfers of any team in college football history to a class that closely reflects the norms of roster building in a rapidly shifting sport in 2025. Colorado didn’t respond to interview requests for this story, but the adjustment illustrates a lack of need for quick fixes at a program that’s markedly improved from the 1-11 Colorado team Sanders inherited.
The Buffaloes’ 2025 class is 45 percent high school prospects (14) and 55 percent transfers (17), with 31 new faces, quite a change from the massive, unusual turnover he conducted in his first two seasons.
In 2023, Sanders brought in 73 new players, with 21 (28 percent) being high school prospects. In 2024, the high school ranks dropped even more, with 43 transfers and 12 high school prospects (21.8 percent of the class).
“The (high school prospects) that we take, we want them to play immediately,” Sanders said in November. “We want them to produce.”
Sanders highlighted Colorado’s 2025 class by flipping quarterback Julian Lewis, the nation’s No. 6 quarterback, from USC after he was committed to Lincoln Riley and the Trojans for more than a year. Weeks before the December early signing period, with USC mired in a disappointing 7-6 season, he joined the Buffs class instead as Colorado stayed in late contention for the Big 12 title game.
Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis arrived at Colorado in December. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
With former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, NFL-bound, Lewis will compete to win the starting job this spring against Kaidon Salter, a Liberty transfer who helped lead the Flames to an undefeated regular season and a New Year’s Six bowl in 2023 and rated as The Athletic’s No. 7 transfer quarterback.
Colorado opens spring practice on March 11 and will host a spring game on April 19.
The Buffaloes’ overall class ranked second in the Big 12 and 27th nationally, per 247Sports. The high school class ranked fourth in the Big 12 and 37th nationally, per the 247Sports Composite. The top two prospects behind Lewis are offensive linemen. Carde Smith of Mobile, Ala., was committed to Auburn and then USC before flipping to Colorado a week before the early signing period. Fellow four-star Chauncey Gooden, from Nashville, Tenn., committed to the Buffaloes on the same day.
The Buffaloes’ class features six four-star high school prospects, more than any other Big 12 team but Texas Tech. That’s up from four high school recruits four-stars or better in each of CU’s previous two classes. The 2025 class featured prospects from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Texas and Michigan.
How is Colorado doing it, beyond coming off a 9-4 season?
While Sanders hasn’t changed his stance on taking visits — “I don’t go to nobody’s school or nobody’s house. I’m not doing that. I’m too old to be going to somebody’s school, somebody’s house,” Sanders, 57, told talk show host Tamron Hall in December — that strategy doesn’t extend to his staff.
Sanders left untouched a $200,000 allowance in his contract for private air travel for recruiting purposes, per USA Today, but the Buffaloes spent $943,504 on recruiting in the 2024 fiscal year, according to Colorado’s NCAA financial forms obtained by The Athletic, which puts Colorado in the same ballpark as what is reported by many of its peers.
Former Colorado offensive line coach Phil Loadholt, who left for Mississippi State after last season, visited Smith in person four or five times, according to Smith’s high school coach, Antonio Coleman.
“(Loadholt) was always in constant contact with Carde, and they built a relationship that made him feel like he was at home,” Coleman said. “If (Sanders) showed up on campus, he’d probably get bum-rushed. Safety is a big deal in that also. Nick Saban came to campus, but he was always well-protected and well-surrounded.”
Sanders began his second season at Colorado with new coordinators. This year, both offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingston are back. They have been fixtures on the road in recruiting, high school coaches said.
Many coaching staffs around the sport assign assistant coaches to build relationships in specific geographic areas and later put prospects in touch with the program’s position coaches. Colorado largely leaves position coaches to recruit their position, wherever the players may be.
And though Sanders doesn’t travel to recruit, he does frequently FaceTime prospects, usually from his office in Boulder. Players — and more importantly in some cases, players’ parents — are familiar with Sanders’ persona and playing days, which can allow Sanders to make an impression on prospects’ families long before he makes contact.
“These days, you’re dealing with a lot more people and kids where NIL is the biggest thing, and it’s the biggest topic of conversation,” said Jamie Graham, who coached Gooden at Lipscomb Academy. “Colorado didn’t forget about NIL but understood the relationship part of this and what is going to make Colorado special and stand out to someone like Chauncey.”
Coleman said Smith and his mother kept private the amount of an NIL offer Smith had been promised by Colorado but said it was less than what USC had offered.
Willie Gaston, who coached four-star wide receiver Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. at Galena North Shore in Texas, said Farrakhan — who signed with Colorado in December and enrolled last month — didn’t take the highest offer given to him by other schools.
“I know that for a fact. It was a pretty big gap. But he was going somewhere he felt comfortable,” Gaston said. “All these kids want to play at the next level, and the biggest thing for him was who could develop him to play on Sundays. That was the biggest thing for him.”
Sanders has leaned into that talking point in his program every year. It resonates with players who see the NFL credentials of Sanders and his staff and buy into the idea they enhance their pro prospects.
Shurmur and Livingston have spent nearly their entire careers in the NFL. Sanders has continued to stock his staff with former NFL players who lack experience coaching but have on-field bona fides.
Hall of Famer Warren Sapp was promoted to pass rush coordinator after joining the staff as a senior analyst last season for a $150,000 salary. He was around the program in an unofficial capacity in 2023, too. Sanders hired Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as running backs coach last month, despite Faulk never coaching at the high school, college or professional levels. Faulk and Sanders worked together at the NFL Network. And former Colorado star Andre Gurode is expected to help coach the offensive line after an All-Pro career and having spent two seasons as a coach in the XFL.
“We, as in Deion, myself, Warren (Sapp), and a lot of guys that played that coach right now … the game has given us so much. Coaches poured into us so much. We have to give that back to these young kids coming up in football, to teach them how to get to the next level, but make sure that they go to the next level the right way,” Faulk, who will make $400,000, told the “Rich Eisen Show” last month. “It just all made sense.”
Jerrime Bell, who coached defensive lineman Christian Hudson in Daytona Beach, Fla., said multiple Big Ten schools offered Bell more money than Colorado.
“You don’t get the helicopter landing like you do with the bigger schools. But they did a good job of zeroing in on him, letting him know he’s their guy,” Bell said. “Georgia, Florida, Miami, when they recruit a kid, they come flying in and they put the full-court press on. Colorado went about it a different way, and it was more just about relationships.”
Hudson committed to UCF last summer but flipped to Colorado two weeks after taking an on-campus visit in October. He also took official visits to Iowa, Maryland and Iowa State, but Colorado was the only visit he took once his senior high school season began.
“It wasn’t about the money for him. It was about getting on the field and the relationships he had,” Bell said. “And eventually, ‘I’ll make the money up on the back end when I make plays playing college football.’”
Whether Colorado is maximizing its recruiting potential under Sanders if he’s available only in Boulder is up for debate, but it does provide an added incentive for recruits to make visits to a campus to which they may have minimal exposure and an area of the country that infrequently produces elite talent.
“It’s Deion Sanders. If you’re in America and know sports, you know Deion Sanders,” Bell said. “You know what you’re gonna get.”
Smith had never been to Boulder before his campus visit. Once he visited, his mind was made up, Coleman said.
“Him going up to Colorado was the biggest reason they were able to make him reconsider,” Coleman said. “And he saw Jordan Seaton (the No. 1 offensive tackle prospect in the 2024 class) and the success he had and he wanted to bet on himself. That’s why he chose Colorado.”
As for Sanders’ ironclad no-visit policy, even for prospects as highly rated as Hunter, who made good on his status as the nation’s No. 1 recruit to become Colorado’s second Heisman Trophy winner?
Graham said with as much exposure and access as Colorado offers on YouTube, he can get a feel for what life is like for his former player there. He suspects recruits can get a feel for Sanders and the program in the same way.
“I find myself naturally following Colorado,” Graham said. “Him not being out on the road, I don’t see it being a big deal. He has so many good people around him that can get out on the road and speak for him.”
(Illustration: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Ric Tapia / Getty Images)
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The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
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Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
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I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Tom Harp has been coaching volleyball at Granada Hills High for so long that few remember he won a City Section championship as a co-head football coach with Darryl Stroh in 1987.
In the 1990s, he turned exclusively to coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball, winning a combined 15 City titles and making 28 finals appearances. The top-seeded Highlanders will try to deliver a seventh Open Division championship on Saturday when they face West Valley League rival Chatsworth in a 4 p.m. final at Birmingham.
The league rivals split their two West Valley matches, with each going five games. Chatsworth knocked off 17-time champion Palisades in the semifinals. MIT-bound Grant Chang is Chatsworth’s 6-foot-6 powerful outside hitter.
All-City volleyball player RJ Francisco of Granada Hills shows off his hitting skills against Chatsworth.
(Craig Weston)
Granada Hills has RJ Francisco, who had 19 kills in a win over Chatsworth.
The Southern Section Division 1 final is Friday night, with Mira Costa taking on Loyola in a 7:30 p.m. match at Cerritos College.
Regional and state playoffs begin next week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Cedric Alexander becomes new TNA X Division champion, crushing Leon Slater’s history-making attempt
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All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.
Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.
Cedric Alexander in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.
Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.
Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.
Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.
Leon Slater enters the arena during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.
Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”
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Fabian Aichner appears
Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci, makes his way to the ring during WWE SmackDown at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. (WWE/Getty Images)
Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.
Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.
Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.
Eric Young earns future shot at TNA World Championship
Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.
The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.
Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.
The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.
He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.
“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.
Mike Santana learns his next opponent
Mike Santana stands in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”
While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.
Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.
Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside rivalry heats up
Xia Brookside attends the “Freelance” screening at Regal Waterford Lakes in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2023. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)
Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.
In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.
“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”
Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.
AJ Francis prevails over KC Navarro
A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.
While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.
It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.
Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.
He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.
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“Impact” match results
- Eric Young wins the 10-man battle royal to earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
- A.J. Francis def. KC Navarro in a SacTown Street Fight.
- Rosemary and Allie def. Veronica Crawford and Mila Moore
- Cedric Alexander def. Leon Slater to win the X Division Championship.
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