Deion Sanders, Colorado ask 'Santa' for more transfer portal help

It may still be the holiday season, but Christmas is over... and Santa Claus should've already come to town.

Still, that didn't stop Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders from making a request of Father Christmas.

On Tuesday (December 26), Sanders turned to social media to ask Santa for some help on the defensive side of the ball via the NCAA's transfer portal:

"Dang, I (see) the portal doing the bank-head bounce," he wrote. "Just when I thought Santa was on his way back to the North Pole he dipped off. Santa please drop another (defensive tackle, cornerback, linebacker and one more pass-rusher) to Boulder. I believe Santa, I believe. #CoachPrime @CUBuffsFootball." 

While the tongue-in-cheek note is unlikely to directly lead to a defensive "gift," it has led to discourse online.

On one hand, Sanders is tipping his hand to student-athletes around the country that Colorado is in need of help on the defensive side of the ball. In that way, his tweet is essentially an advertisement to both portal prospects and players still tied to their current programs.

On the other hand, Sanders is showing he's not as invested in the still-important relationship-building process of the recruiting trail.

Sanders and his coaching staff are surely doing some vetting of recruits who express interest, but part of the reason college programs recruits athletes for multiple years before Signing Day is to ensure they have the right blend of talent, character, work ethic and potential to be "good fits."

By relying so heavily on a "come on down" approach, Sanders is fast-tracking the rebuild at Colorado, while risking significant program stability. 

But that's not news.

Sanders has been the "prime" example of quick-fix via the transfer portal.

Last season, the Buffaloes started out red-hot before (almost literally) limping to a 4-8 record (1-8 in the Pac-12 Conference).

How will Year 2 go under Sanders?

He'll need to continue addressing key deficiencies on the roster, most notably the offensive line... and, if Sanders' tweet is to be believed, at every level of the defense.