If you’re suffering from Deion Sanders fatigue, worn down by the Colorado football coach’s repeated presence on sports feeds and debate shows, you’re in for a rough couple of months.
By landing a commitment from star recruit Julian Lewis on Thursday, Sanders secured more than a top quarterback prospect. He also came away with increased options for his future, a reality that figures to keep him prominently positioned in upcoming news cycles.
Whatever develops, the attention is warranted based on the impressive job he has done the last five seasons, leading Jackson State to a 27-6 record before guiding Colorado to a share of the Big 12 lead entering Saturday’s game against Kansas.
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Before this week, I would have given competitive odds that Sanders would leave Colorado after this season. Two of his friends told me a handful of years ago his primary reason for accepting the Jackson State job — his first as a college coach — was to ensure Shedeur Sanders, his youngest son, would have every opportunity to develop into a top quarterback and a highly drafted NFL player.
Over four seasons, including the last two with Colorado, Shedeur, 22, has completed 70 percent of his passes for 13,415 yards and 124 touchdowns with just 24 interceptions. He also has rushed for 17 scores, though he is not considered a dual-threat in the classic sense. He is a pocket passer with the mobility to create space and make off-platform throws with accuracy and velocity.
Where that lands him in the draft is unknown, but credible draft analysts have him and Miami’s Cam Ward as the top quarterback prospects. And since teams place a premium on the position — 17 signal callers have been selected No. 1 since 2000 — the likelihood appears strong that he will be drafted near the top of the first round, if not first overall.
Which brings me back to his father’s future and potential options. Deion Sanders could easily consider it mission accomplished and hang up his whistle at the end of the season, particularly with cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, a front-runner to win this season’s Heisman Trophy, already declaring that he, too, is off to the NFL after the season. Losing his top two players represents a significant drain of talent that will be hard for Sanders to replace in the short term, potentially resulting in fewer victories.
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Sanders was a Hall of Fame cornerback and a standout baseball player. You don’t play both sports at the highest level … in the same season … without having a competitive drive that matches your physical ability. Which is why I could not see him staying at Colorado with an inferior roster.
Having Lewis in the fold, however, gives him a bell-cow performer he can not only build around but also use as a magnet to attract more playmakers. Lewis had previously committed to USC but changed his mind in part because of Sanders and the success of Shedeur. It suggests that recruits are seeing past the glitz and glam and recognizing the skill development taking place.
“It’s a huge opportunity!” Lewis said in a statement to On3. “What Coach Prime has been able to build in two seasons can’t be denied. I’ve had a chance to get to know him and believe that he can further develop me into the player and person that I want to be. Coach (Pat) Shurmur has been an NFL offensive coordinator and head coach, so he understands exactly what’s needed at the next level. Coach Prime is going to play the best player, whether it’s a freshman or a walk-on.”
@KingJames Thank u my brother for the support! pic.twitter.com/UD39rXZn6I
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) November 17, 2024
But back to the discussion about the future and potential options. There has been speculation NFL teams could have interest in Sanders, who has had only one losing season in four years and has the 8-2 Buffaloes in contention for a College Football Playoff berth two years after finishing 1-11 the season before Sanders arrived. He has not publicly expressed interest in making the jump and in 2023 told Sports Illustrated: “I don’t have any desire or ambition to coach in the NFL. I have a problem with men getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I have a problem with that. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-school attributes.”
And yet …
Michael Irvin, a close friend and former Dallas Cowboys teammate, believes Sanders would not hesitate to accept the Cowboys job if it were offered and Shedeur was drafted by Dallas.
“I believe (it) 100 percent,” he said on Fox Sports’ “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “And I can tell you, good sources have told me that. Great sources have told me that. That’s all I can say like that without violating anything else.”
These types of comments tend to fuel the rumor mill because as much of a long shot as it may be, you cannot completely dismiss the idea until Cowboys owner Jerry Jones categorically says it’s not happening, which he has not done.
Sanders’ name also could surface for other college jobs, particularly if the Buffaloes reach the Playoff and make a run. He was an unproven commodity in 2021 after he took the Jackson State job. Major colleges were unwilling to take a chance on him because he had no track record. Some wondered if he was more style than substance.
Florida State, his alma mater, is regularly mentioned as a possibility, but that seems unlikely because of what it would cost to move on from coach Mike Norvell and because the sides are not on the greatest of terms after FSU didn’t make much of an effort to bring in Sanders a handful of years ago when he first talked about coaching on the collegiate level.
It would be irresponsible to throw out the names of other schools before an opening exists, but college football has become as cutthroat as the NFL, and landing Sanders could be viewed as a boon not only on the field but off it, as evidenced by the increase in attendance, viewership and alumni contributions. Never forget that major-college football is as much a business as a game, which is why Sanders is in a great position.
He has proved himself on both fronts. He has exceeded expectations at every turn, taking a group that was rated the second-worst staff in the Big 12 coming into the season and advancing to the cusp of a Big 12 championship. The Lewis commitment was yet another victory in a season of victories, but it’s significant because it gives him the ability to make decisions about his future based on whether something aligns with his purpose and vision. If the NFL calls, great. If another college program calls, cool. For Sanders, there is no downside. He has positioned himself to have positive options regardless of the situation, which means we are sure to continue seeing him on news feeds and debate shows.
(Photo of Deion Sanders speaking with Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft after a win against Utah: Dustin Bradford / Getty Images)
