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Deion Sanders' Colorado Roster Overhaul 'Looks Bad' on CFB HCs, Pitt's Narduzzi Says

Doric Sam

Since Deion Sanders took over as head coach at Colorado this offseason, more than 70 players have left the program, 51 of which were on scholarship.

That type of roster restructuring does not sit well with some college football coaches, and Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi voiced his displeasure recently.

"That's not the way it's meant to be," Narduzzi told 247Sports' Brandon Marcello last week at the ACC's spring meetings. "That's not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We'll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country."

Sanders was hired on Dec. 3 after spending the last three years coaching at Jackson State. Following the Buffaloes' spring game last month, 44 players exited the program, per Marcello.

"The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life — I don't know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out," Narduzzi added.

Part of the reason for the massive overhaul at Colorado is the NCAA rule that allows first-year head coaches to remove players from the roster as long as they remain on scholarship. USC coach Lincoln Riley used the rule to his benefit last year by adding highly touted transfers like Caleb Williams and Jordan Addison, but the Trojans didn't undergo as many changes as the Buffaloes.

Also, the NCAA removed the 25-man counter limit for each recruiting cycle, which allows teams to sign however many players as long as their 85-man scholarship limit isn't exceeded. Upon his hiring, Sanders indicated that he was prepared to utilize these rules to his advantage.

"When I get there, it's going to be changed," Sanders said at the time. "So, I want y'all to get ready to go ahead and jump in that portal and do whatever you're going to get, because the more of you jump into (the portal), the more room you make because we bring in kids that are smart, tough."

Narduzzi, who was also critical of Riley after Pitt lost Addison to USC, didn't hold back his disdain for Sanders' approach to his new position.

"I grew up in a profession that you can't tell a guy that he has to leave based on athletic ability. I think he'll be shocked that he probably had some pretty good football players in that room," Narduzzi said. "When I got to Pitt back in 2015, I didn't kick anybody off. Zero. Those are your guys. When you become a head coach you inherit that team and you coach that team. If someone wants to leave, that's great. You don't kick them out. I disagree with that whole process. That's not why I got in the game."

   

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