Andy Staples, Ari Wasserman weigh in on Deion Sanders, Colorado: This looks like 'Daddy Ball'

Following a slow start to the 2024 season, there has been growing criticism surrounding the Colorado Buffaloes program and head coach Deion Sanders. That includes criticism for how he has handled the program as it relates to his sons.

Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman broke down the situation during an episode of Andy and Ari On3. There, they discussed Sanders and how his actions relate to both his long-term plans and what could be seen as ‘Daddy Ball.’

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“Deion Sanders had better show that he wants to stay at Colorado long term right now,” Andy Staples said. “The way you do that is you start recruiting high schools. Now. I don’t care that you’re behind. I don’t care that you weren’t doing it before. Time to start doing it if you plan on staying there. Otherwise, all those critics who say this is daddy-ball on steroids, they’re gonna be right.”

Under Deion Sanders, Colorado has heavily used the Transfer Portal instead of recruiting from high schools. In the last two cycles combined, Colorado has taken 92 transfers. At the same time, Colorado has only taken 33 high school recruits in that same time.

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“The best time for Deion Sanders to start recruiting high schools was yesterday and yesterday it was the day before. Like every single day that goes by where that doesn’t happen is a wasted day…on one hand, he has unquestionably created a better sentiment, a place where people want to buy tickets…there’s a lot of Deion fans,” Wasserman said.

“There’s not a lot of Colorado fans. The tried and true Colorado fans exist, but I think that they know if they pay attention to how this sport works, what you have to do to create something that isn’t just a flash in the pan or a cool story, you have to create something with staying power by building it with a foundation and that foundation is built through adding players… He has done nothing in his time as Colorado’s coach to incite or imply that he has any design of being there longer than his kids.”

Staples then added that since Sanders got to Colorado, he’s signed three offensive linemen, a position that has been a major issue for the team. He compared that to Georgia, a school that has signed 12 offensive linemen in that same time period.

“Here’s the thing with Deion Sanders and this is the part that should frustrate you if you’re a Colorado fan or a Deion fan…because if they signed classes like Kansas State or Utah and then used your Deion Sandersness to sprinkle some five-stars and four-stars on top of that…they would dominate the Big 12,” Staples said.

Wasserman feels that Sanders should be able to recruit better than he has to this point. It’s because of that that he has the hypothesis that Sanders is most interested in lifting up his family on the team, like quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders.

“Deion Sanders’ number one qualification for being a coach at this level is fame and stardom. If he is to weaponize that fame and stardom — his qualification for being the coach at high schools and everywhere else he’s allowed to be from a recruiting standpoint — by this point in his tenure the bottom half of their roster would be twice as good as the bottom half of the roster already is,” Wasserman said.

“But I think that, and this is a hypothesis…he knew coming into this…I actually think and this might not be groundbreaking to some people, that he took this job to be there along the way with his kids to make some extra money both for him and his kids on the side. His production company for his other kid. Get Shedeur drafted and Shilo to his ceiling. Then that was it.”

Andy Staples explained that theory as ‘Daddy Ball.’ It’s a term that comes from youth sports and involves an over-involved parent setting up a team for their own child’s success.

“What is most derisive critics have been saying all along, and if you don’t know the term ‘Daddy Ball,’ if you have a kid in youth sports, you know this term. Daddy Ball is when you’ve got the best player on the team and that kid’s dad starts coaching the team and basically builds everything for their child to be raised up and doesn’t really worry about any of the other players on the team. That’s what Daddy Ball is and that’s what this looks like.”

Through one season and two games under Deion Sanders has a record of 5-9 at Colorado. That is an improvement in terms of record from where Colorado was before Sanders got there, but Wasserman still doesn’t believe he’s shown anything to make it seem like he wants to be at Colorado for the long haul.

“He has done nothing, and when I say nothing I mean with a capital N, to show he is interested in building up Colorado’s football program long term,” Wasserman concluded.