Ex-Colorado player rips Deion Sanders' approach to roster overhaul

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Former Colorado Buffaloes safety Xavier Smith shared some insight on his departure from the program as Deion Sanders came into Boulder and took over as head coach.

Smith took issue with the way Sanders dealt with the players who were around after Karl Dorrell was fired and Mike Sanders wasn’t retained. Sanders came over from Jackson State in a high-profile move that changed the attention around the football program.

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University of Colorado Coach Deion Sanders talks with people on the field before  a UFL game between the Birmingham Stallions and the Arlington Renegades on March 30, 2024 at Choctaw Stadium in Arlington, TX. (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

But Smith said the way Sanders handled things could’ve been better.

"He was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in themselves," Smith told The Athletic in a story published Monday. "The way he did it, it could’ve been done with a little more compassion."

Smith, who entered the 2022 season trying to get healthy from a broken leg he suffered in his senior season and then a hamstring injury during the season, told the outlet he was optimistic going into a meeting with Sanders, thinking that Coach Prime would work with the younger players. He was only a redshirt freshman at the time.

He said he was brought into the office with safety Oakie Salave’a and heard from defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and Sanders.

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) between plays during the home opener