Money might be king more than ever before in college football, but swag -- or, as Doug Samuels might call it, "Rizz," -- still resonates with recruits.
Aside from promised paydays, development and facilities, colleges have to find ways to stand out among the next generation of players.
Colorado is doing so by leaning into the NFL past of its coaching staff, particularly head coach Deion Sanders, while also providing a unique sports collectible to every player the Buffaloes are issuing a formal scholarship offer.
Preston Ashley, a consensus four-star prospect and the No. 214 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, shared Colorado's offer package in a social media video.
A Colorado commitment since late June, Ashley showcased the 1-of-1 trading card of himself that the Buffaloes recruiting and personnel department included in the mailing, as well as sleeves of playing cards of Coach Prime and several members of his coaching staff who also played in the NFL.
Deion Sanders is show by Ashley in a Dallas Cowboys uniform on one trading card. But Sanders has stocked his Colorado coaching staff with a litany of former pros, including Pro Football Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp, as well as former NFL standouts Andre Gurode and Kevin Mathis.
Colorado offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur is a former NFL head coach while defensive coordinator Robert Livingston was a top NFL assistant coach before he accepted Sanders's offer to join him in Boulder, Colorado.
Deion Sanders guided Colorado to one of college football's biggest year-over-year turnarounds in 2024, helping the Buffaloes go from their four-win season in Prime's debut year atop the Buffaloes to a nine-win campaign last fall. Sanders also helped Colorado produce its second-ever Heisman Trophy winner, with two-way sensation Travis Hunter claiming college football's top individual award. Shedeur Sanders also rewrote the Colorado record books in several passing categories.
Late last month, Sanders revealed that he had been battling and underwent surgery for bladder cancer, with his medical team declaring he had beaten the disease during a lengthy press conference on the Colorado campus just prior to the start of the Buffaloes' training camp.
Colorado kicks off its third season under Coach Prime on Friday, Aug. 29, in a primetime tilt against ACC foe Georgia Tech.
Brent Key's Yellow Jackets are coming off an 7-6 season that included a top-six finish in the ACC.
