Deion Sanders has been one of the most talked-about men in college football since he took over at Colorado.

The Buffaloes, for better or worse, have enjoyed one of the most eventful offseasons of anyone in the country. Sanders brings with him a certain level of attention just because of who he is. But that also meant the Buffs became a bit more popular, which meant the Buffs started landing big-time prospects on the recruiting trail. Access to the program soared, with Sanders’ son showcasing behind-the-scenes footage on YouTube. Interest skyrocketed, with the spring game selling out for the first time in program history.

And then there was the portal.

Not everyone has been a fan of how Sanders utilized the transfer portal to immediately and drastically flip his roster. Last month, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi — not one to shy away from brash claims about other coaches — took aim at Coach Prime by saying his methods warped what the transfer portal was intended to be used for.

“That’s not the way it’s meant to be,” Narduzzi told 247Sports in May. “That’s not what the (transfer portal) rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We’ll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country. The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life — I don’t know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out.

“… When you become a head coach you inherit that team and you coach that team. If someone wants to leave, that’s great. You don’t kick them out. I disagree with that whole process. That’s not why I got in the game.”

Sanders was asked about those comments recently in an interview with 247Sports’ Carl Reed. And he didn’t hold back.

“What was his situation when he came to Pitt? He had a different situation than me. He is not mad at me, he is mad at the situation in football now that allowed his best player to leave a year ago,” Sanders said. “He’s not mad at me, he’s using me to shoot bullets at another coach who he has an issue with. I don’t know who he is; if he walked in here right now I wouldn’t know him.”

The player in question there would no doubt be former Pitt wide receiver Jordan Addison, who transferred to USC after winning a Biletnikoff Award with Narduzzi in 2021. Narduzzi accused USC coach Lincoln Riley of tampering last year.

Pitt took six transfers in the 2022 recruiting cycle. So far this year, Pitt has taken seven.

Colorado, meanwhile, has seen more than 40 players exit the program just since the team’s spring game. More than 50 scholarship players have entered the portal since Sanders took over. Coach Prime took full advantage of a recent NCAA rule change that allowed first-year head coaches to effectively and legally cut players.

CU went 1-11 last season. Everyone will be watching to see if Sanders’ plan works in the fall.