Colorado Football Reverses Policy on Players Departing Via Transfer Portal

Since new coach Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder, the Colorado football program has undergone a massive roster overhaul, with dozens of players entering the transfer portal this week alone. According to a pair of former players, one of the issues they’ve faced since deciding to leave the program is that the new Buffaloes coaching staff has barred them from accessing practice film from the 2022 season.

Now, Colorado is reversing course on that stance.

Tight end Zachary Courtney and outside linebacker Kaden Ludwick told ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg that they would only have access to game footage after they entered the transfer portal. On Wednesday, the program altered its stance on the issue, saying that players in the portal now will have access to practice film from 2022 and earlier.

For the coaches who are trying to recruit me. I am sorry but I will not be able to get y’all my film from my practices last season since I am not allowed to have it because the head coach at CU won’t allow it. This is very unlucky and if you have any questions just text me!

— Zachary Courtney (@ZacharyCourtn11) April 25, 2023

“I didn’t expect to get so much attention to my post, and I wish I didn’t post now, because it put a bad look on both me and Deion, and I didn’t want Deion to have any bad rap,” Courtney said. “I just wanted my film. I got hurt midway through the season, so I didn’t have enough game film to show. It would have been really nice to show, because I went against the first-team defense [in practice].”

As of Wednesday afternoon, Colorado reportedly had 41 players enter the portal since April 15, per Rittenberg. Courtney and other Colorado players in the portal told The Athletic‘s David Ubben about a clear divide in the way the Buffaloes’ new coaches treated new players compared to those who were on the team last season. New players allegedly didn’t get called out as often during film sessions, while players from the previous regime had limited interaction with Sanders.

“No relationship with [Sanders] at all,” offensive lineman Travis Gray told The Athletic. “I said what’s up to him a few times. I’m not sure he knew the names of half the kids he got rid of. He was worried about who he brought in. If you were on the 1–11 team, it seemed like he didn’t really care about us at all. He already said he was going to get rid of 25–30 of us, and that’s exactly what he did.”