Coach Prime doesn’t settle for average; he always hunts elite-level talent to fit his elite-level program. Every recruit he targets has to bring something special, and once they’re in, he pushes them hard. Not just to play, but to dominate.
Deion Sanders is known for demanding excellence, and his approach to scouting reflects that same energy. While most coaches treat 7-on-7 as casual reps, Sanders sees it as a battlefield. It’s where true competitors show themselves, without pads, excuses, or room to hide.
That mindset is now embedded in his staff as well. Colorado coach Michael Pollock recently revealed how Deion uses 7-on-7 to evaluate scholarship-level talent for his team.
Michael Pollock Says Deion Sanders Sees Talent Differently
In Boulder, raw talent alone won’t cut it. Coach Prime wants more: grit, accountability, and the willingness to be challenged.
While many young players have coasted through high school and early recruiting phases based solely on athletic ability, Deion Sanders flips the script. He’s not interested in telling players what they want to hear. He’s focused on what they need to hear.
Michael Pollock puts it bluntly: “If a guy’s been brought up soft a little bit, this may not be for him.” That’s not disrespect, it’s the reality in Coach Prime’s program. He’s building competitors, not just athletes. The bar is high, and the message is clear that sugarcoating has no place in the system.
“Coach believes in calling it and keeping it 100,” Pollock says. That truth-first approach is central to how Sanders and his staff evaluate prospects. “Keeping it 100 is something that a lot of these kids aren’t used to,” Pollock adds. “Their talent has allowed them to kind of navigate the system… and you know, coach is not that kind of guy.”
Deion wants players who can handle the truth because the truth is what fuels growth. His approach filters out the noise and finds the ones who are truly built for the next level mentally, physically, and emotionally.
Coach Prime Trusts What He Sees
When it comes to evaluating talent, Coach Prime doesn’t need charts, hype videos, or fancy metrics. He trusts his eyes. Michael Pollock confirms that Sanders and his staff rely heavily on the eye test. It’s an instinctual approach built from years of elite-level football experience.
Pollock even recalls a moment from Prime’s time at the NFL Network. After watching a prospect sprint, Sanders simply said, “He can run, run.” No stopwatch needed. Instead of following the traditional playbook, his instincts told the story.
There was even a time when the laser system was down during a camp. While others paused, Coach Prime didn’t flinch. “I don’t need no system for me to see a joker fast. I can watch him,” he said. That confidence, that old-school feel-it-in-your-gut style, drives the program.
Pollock then states how 7-on-7 is a great way to evaluate how DBs play man coverage and how receivers handle the ball. But Pollock agrees that 7-on-7 has its limits, especially with quarterbacks:
“I dont think 7-on-7 is as effective to evaluate quarterbacks. I think you can watch the quarterback and watch his throwing and say, ‘Okay, is this a throwing motion I can work with?’ But as you know, when you got jokers breathing down your neck compared to 7-on-7 where you back there just patting the ball for 4 seconds, it’s a different game.”
Still, the 7-on-7 setting reveals more than just mechanics. It exposes character. Pollock says it helps them evaluate how players move, respond, lead, or fold under pressure. Who gets frustrated? Who competes? Who lifts others?
In the end, that’s what Coach Prime wants. He’s not just recruiting athletes. He’s recruiting warriors, and he doesn’t need a laser to find them. Just his eyes, his instincts, and a system built on truth.
Also Read: Deion Sanders’ Colorado Just Landed 2 of Top-100 Transfers Of This Offseason, One Is a QB
