Pac-12 Football

Deion Sanders never won Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year during his illustrious NFL playing career despite being one of the most dynamic forces in all of sports.

One year as the head football coach of Colorado later, however, Sanders has received SI's highest honor.

The publication announced him as 2023's Sportsperson of the Year on Thursday, making him the first college coach in more than a decade to win the award.

Coach Prime is here, and he's just getting started

Deion Sanders is SI's 2023 Sportsperson of the Year! https://t.co/Xebtm9bmNZ pic.twitter.com/Sdt500V93u

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 30, 2023

In terms of pure performance, Sanders would rank among the least accomplished people to win the award during their year of honor. Colorado went just 4-8 during the 2023 season, finishing last in the Pac-12 and closing the regular season with six straight losses. After roaring onto the scene with three straight wins and a Top 25 appearance, Sanders' Buffaloes whimpered to the finish.

Of course, pure win-loss record far undersells what Sanders has brought to Boulder.

Perhaps above all else, Sanders has injected life into a football program that's spent most of the 21st century as a forgettable also-ran. The Buffaloes went 1-11 in 2022 and were outscored by 29.1 points per game. There may have been no more lifeless program in any Power Five conference.

During the Buffaloes' 3-0 start to Sanders' tenure, there was no hotter ticket in college football. Colorado said it generated more than $90 million in media coverage in September alone.

While four wins are well below Sanders' own expectations, five of the team's eight losses came by just one score. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter gave the program two foundational stars for fans to get behind, and Colorado spent most of 2023 playing in packed houses—a stark contrast to recent seasons. The program sold out season tickets for the first time in history and had the highest average ticket price in college football in September.

"The climax we gave you early on, we gonna get you back there because I know you liked that ride, didn't you?" Sanders told reporters. "We gonna get you back there."

Sanders knows the honeymoon phase does not last long in football. Four wins is acceptable in a first year when you're rebuilding a program from scratch. The next step is reaching a bowl game and the next after that will be competing for a conference championship.

Colorado moves back to the Big 12 next season after being among the leaders of the Pac-12 exodus, so next year's schedule will be filled with a slate of brand new opponents and rivals gunning for Sanders' team.

How he handles that—and how Colorado performs moving forward—will inform whether Sanders' selection as Sportsperson of the Year for 2023 proves to be prescient or overzealous.

USC star quarterback Caleb Williams is in the running to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, but it sounds like it's not guaranteed that he's ready to turn pro.

Williams told Ryan Kartje of the L.A. Times (h/t Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk) that it's still a "game-time decision" on whether or not he will declare for the draft by the Jan. 15 deadline.

Williams' comments somewhat echo those of his father, Carl, who said in September that his son might return to USC "if there's not a good situation" available to him in the NFL. However, Kartje noted that "no one around Williams seems to consider returning to USC for a third year a likely outcome any longer."

The 2022 Heisman Trophy winner has one more year of eligibility, and it sounds like he's considering using it to make up for a disappointing 2023 campaign that saw the Trojans finish with a 7-5 record. Williams still performed at an incredibly high level, completing 68.6 percent of his passes for 3,633 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions while also adding 11 rushing scores.

Despite his individual brilliance this year, Williams admitted that this season has taken a bit of a toll on him.

"I've never been in this situation, where I'm 7-5 and there are no playoff hopes at the end of the season," Williams said. "I'm dealing with it emotionally, dealing with it spiritually and physically. It's been one of the most important years I think I've had. It's tricky."

Williams made waves when he was seen crying in his mother's arms following USC's loss to Washington on Nov. 4. Still, he's not concerned with how that might affect his perception at the next level.

"There's a time and a place for everything," Williams said. "But I'm far from ashamed about showing my emotion after any of the losses this year. It shows truth. It shows care. All that. I'm getting better at it, showing it in the right place and the right time. But if I won a national championship or a Super Bowl years down the line—if I was winning, nobody would be saying anything."

The initial optimism around Deion Sanders and Colorado quickly faded away as the team lost eight of its final nine games this season with some expecting things to get worse before they get better.

Per The Athletic's David Ubben, Bruce Feldman and Justin Williams, six different coaches and coordinators within the Pac-12 believe the Buffaloes won't be as successful in 2024 as they were this year.

"It's gonna get dark for Colorado," one coach said.

When Sanders took the Colorado job in December 2022 after spending three years at Jackson State, he embarked on an unprecedented remaking of the roster. Only 10 scholarship players from the 2022 roster that went 1-11 were on the team this season.

The Buffaloes had 69 new scholarship players and 58 transfers on the team in 2023. It looked like the instant roster makeover was going to pay huge dividends. They opened the year 3-0, including a 45-42 upset win over TCU in the season opener.

Colorado was ranked as high as No. 18 in the Associated Press Top 25 during that initial run. It was the program's first time being ranked in the AP poll since 2020. The wheels fell off after that hot start, with the lone win over the final nine games coming on Oct. 7 against Arizona State.

Amid the ongoing struggles, offensive coordinator Sean Lewis lost his play-calling duties. He was in his first season with Colorado after stepping down as head coach at Kent State to join Sanders' staff.

Pat Shurmur, who initially joined Sanders' staff as an offensive assistant, was promoted to co-offensive coordinator when Lewis lost his play-calling responsibilities.

One assistant told The Athletic that Colorado's handling of Lewis "was embarrassing" and he would be "outta there on the first opportunity" if he was Lewis. The coach also explained how Lewis' system didn't fit with Shedeur Sanders' style of play:

"That coach said that Shedeur's propensity to hold on to the ball didn't always fit with Lewis's quick-release tempo system, causing a rift. That coach also said that when his team faced Colorado, after a three-and-out by the Buffs, he saw Lewis try to get Shedeur's attention but Shedeur 'pushed (Lewis) off and went to the other side of the field.'"

Lewis is on the verge of leaving Colorado, with ESPN's Pete Thamel reporting on Tuesday the 37-year-old is expected to be hired as San Diego State's next head coach.

The assistant went on to say "a lot" of offensive coordinators will likely "will be hesitant to come into Colorado" now because of how the situation with Lewis was handled.

Despite Sanders' name recognition and the initial wave of national attention around the Colorado program, recruiting is still an issue. The Buffaloes, who are moving to the Big 12 next year, currently have the No. 13 class in the 16-team conference with just nine commitments.

The Athletic noted Sanders will most likely use the transfer portal once again to build his roster during the offseason, but he won't be able to cut as many players as he did last year because that is only permitted for first-year head coaches.

Shedeur is eligible to declare for the 2024 NFL draft, but Deion has said he doesn't expect his son to leave.

Given how much work there was to be done with the Colorado football program when Sanders arrived, this season should be considered a success because it won three more games than it did in 2022.

But any expectation that the Buffaloes were on the verge of becoming a national powerhouse was clearly overstated with how things finished this season and where they lack talent.

In the wake of Jonathan Smith leaving for Michigan State, Oregon State has promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bray to be the Beavers' next head coach.

Introducing the 32nd head coach in program history, Trent Bray! pic.twitter.com/xDjcXzVgrH

— Oregon State Football (@BeaverFootball) November 29, 2023

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the news first on Tuesday evening before it became official.

Bray, 41, is an Oregon State alum who excelled as a Beaver linebacker from 2002-2005. He earned second-team All-Pac-10 honors in 2004 and first-team All-Pac-10 in 2005. Bray ended his collegiate career with 337 tackles, 29.0 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks.

Minus a quick stop with the now defunct UFL's California Redwoods in 2009, Bray has coached collegiately since 2008. He's coached at Oregon State on two separate occasions (2012-2014, 2018-present date). Bray coached linebackers from 2012-2014 and 2018-2021 before adding defensive coordinator duties in 2022.

The Beavers didn't register a top-25 finish in the final Associated Press poll from 2013-2021 but finished 17th in 2022 after a 10-3 season in Bray's first year as DC. Oregon State notably improved from 61st to 16th in points allowed per game from 2021 to 2022.

Oregon State fought hard in 2023 en route to an eight-win season and a No. 21 spot in the latest AP poll. The Beavers nearly picked off undefeated Washington two weeks ago before falling 22-20.

Given the team's success over the past two years, it makes sense for Oregon State to hire from within and hope to keep the good vibes rolling in 2024 and beyond. The future athletic home for Oregon State right now is unknown with the Pac-12 dissolving around them and Washington State, but the football team should be in good hands with Bray if his track record of success is any indication.

The Las Vegas Raiders may look toward ex-Stanford head coach David Shaw to fill their coaching vacancy.

Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal relayed the news.

Hearing a name to keep an eye on when @Raiders go through HC search process: Former Stanford HC (and former Raiders assistant coach) David Shaw.

— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) November 28, 2023

Shaw, 51, went 96-54 for the Cardinal from 2011-2022, winning the Pac-12 three times. Stanford went to the Rose Bowl three times under Shaw and won it twice. The Cardinal also registered three top-seven finishes in the Associated Press poll, including third in 2015.

After a pair of 3-9 seasons in 2021 and 2022, Shaw resigned as Stanford's head coach.

Shaw has a wealth of experience in the collegiate and NFL coaching ranks beginning with two seasons as a Western Washington assistant in 1995 and 1996.

He then coached in the NFL from 1997-2005 for the Philadelphia Eagles, Raiders and Baltimore Ravens, notably serving as both the quarterbacks and wide receivers coach from 2002-2004 in his last NFL stop.

Shaw then coached under Jim Harbaugh in 2006 at San Diego before moving on with him to Stanford in 2007. He was Stanford's offensive coordinator from 2007-2010 and got the promotion to head coach when Harbaugh left for the San Francisco 49ers.

There's no doubting Shaw's tremendous resume, and he's been talked about as a potential NFL head coaching candidate before. In fact, he got an interview with the Denver Broncos before they eventually hired Sean Payton, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Former Stanford HC David Shaw interviewed today with the Denver Broncos about their head coaching job, sources tell ESPN. Shaw spent nine years in the NFL, from 1997-2005, with the Eagles, Raiders and Ravens, and is interested in returning to the pro game.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 12, 2023

The Raiders are looking for a new head coach after firing Josh McDaniels. Linebackers coach Antonio Pierce has served as the interim head coach and gone 2-2 in McDaniels' place.

The remaining two teams in the Pac-12 are reportedly on the verge of aligning with another conference for the 2024 season.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, Oregon State and Washington State "are in the final stages of striking a football scheduling agreement" with the Mountain West Conference for next season "that includes a lucrative financial package for MWC schools."

Dellenger noted that an announcement of the scheduling alliance is expected "in the coming days." The agreement is only in place for one season for now and is "expected to include a fee of about $14 million paid to the Mountain West."

The scheduling alliance is currently only for football as Oregon State and Washington State explore their options for their other sports. A similar agreement for men's and women's basketball is being explored with the Mountain West, but nothing is imminent at the moment.

OSU and WSU were left without a home for next season after the 10 other teams in the Pac-12 departed for three other conferences in a seismic realignment. Per Dellenger, the two schools "stand to lose at least $25 million annually in Pac-12 and Power Five conference distribution, though they are likely due a windfall of league revenue over the next two years."

As part of the agreement with the Mountain West, a "7+1" format will be implemented in which MWC teams play seven conference games instead of eight followed by one game over either Oregon State or Washington State. The Beavers and Cougars will not be eligible for the Mountain West championship.

OSU and WSU plan to operate as a two-team conference for at least a year to keep the Pac-12 brand alive. However, conferences with less than eight teams are not eligible for an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff, so the Beavers and Cougars would only be able to earn an at-large berth.

The roster won't be the only thing that's different for Colorado when the Buffaloes return to the Big 12 in 2024.

During his weekly press conference before the team's 23-17 loss to Utah, head coach Deion Sanders seemingly teased a new look to come next season.

"We are happy with our newfound relationship with Nike and what they've done for this university, the new uniforms for next season as well," he told reporters. "It's phenomenal that matches the cleats and so forth."

It sounds as though some Colorado players will be donning the Nike Air Diamond Turf Max 96 shoes as well.

Prime Time! 😎

The Nike Air Diamond Turf Max 96, notably worn by Deion Sanders, is set to Retro Summer 2024💥 pic.twitter.com/BhPmQemB6J

— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) November 20, 2023

Nike has been the longtime apparel provider for Buffaloes athletics. That initially created some questions when Sanders was first hired because he had once said he'd "never" wear Nike gear again after his relationship with the company deteriorated.

That's all obviously water under the bridge now.

Jake Shapiro of Denver Sports noted Colorado has maintained the broad uniform design on the gridiron since 2015. Changing things up after nearly a decade would be another way to usher in the Coach Prime era and life in the Big 12.

The Chicago Bears own the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick in 2024 and have a good shot at earning the No. 1 pick for the second year in a row. In that case, the franchise would face a tough decision on whether to keep Justin Fields or move on from him in favor of one of the top quarterback prospects.

However, an NFL executive told ESPN's Courtney Cronin that the decision shouldn't be tough at all because USC star and 2022 Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams has the skills to be one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL as soon as he enters the league.

"I thought from last year's film, he would be top 10 the day he showed up," the anonymous AFC executive said. When asked if he meant a top 10 draft pick or top 10 quarterback when he gets to the NFL, he said, "The latter."

It's understandable that the executive was enamored by Williams' 2022 tape, as he recorded 4,537 yards, 42 touchdowns and five interceptions. He wasn't as dominant in 2023 as USC struggled down the stretch and finished with a 7-5 record, but he still posted impressive numbers of 3,633 yards, 40 touchdowns and five picks.

Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye are projected as the top quarterback prospects in a talented 2024 draft class. While Fields has shown flashes of brilliance in his three-year career, he hasn't been able to turn the Bears into a winning franchise. Many believe there are multiple benefits of moving on from Fields at this point.

"Justin Fields is going to have to play out of his mind, because if it's close, the economics are so compelling to take another quarterback to reset the clock," ESPN front office insider Mike Tannenbaum said. "If you could reset the clock on a rookie quarterback alone, Justin Fields would have to be two to three times the player to not take a quarterback because you have to think about all those other players you can add with the savings."

A fractured back was the reason why quarterback Shedeur Sanders missed Colorado's 23-17 loss to Utah to close out the 2023 season.

Sanders' injury was referenced at the 4:50 mark of the video posted by Well Off Media surrounding the game. Walking through the tunnel, the junior said he felt good but couldn't throw a football. It's subsequently revealed he had a fracture in his back.

Sanders was considered doubtful in the days leading up to the Utes matchup and ruled out hours before kickoff.

The physical toll paid by the star signal-caller was among the Buffaloes' subplots all year. His 52 sacks are the highest in FBS despite him only logging 11 starts. That number doesn't account for the amount of times he was hit after releasing the ball, either.

Head coach Deion Sanders vented his frustration with the performance of the offensive line as a whole in October, telegraphing the turnover to come this offseason.

Deion Sanders on Colorado’s offensive line struggling to protect Shedeur:

“The big picture, you go get new lineman. That's the picture and I'ma paint it perfectly."

(via @noskozone) https://t.co/AdMEIK7NKXpic.twitter.com/cWBAriC3Tf

— On3 (@On3sports) October 29, 2023

The longer the season went on, the more it looked inevitable Shedeur would suffer an injury serious enough to take him out of action.

After the 28-16 loss to UCLA on Oct. 28, head coach Deion Sanders told reporters Shedeur had received an injection to alleviate the pain midway through the game. The following week, Shedeur was briefly in the locker room during a 26-19 loss to Oregon State.

Then he couldn't finish what was Colorado's fifth straight defeat, exiting a 56-14 shellacking against Washington State.

"He had some numbness in his hand and couldn't really grip the ball," Deion told reporters after the game. "But then that second hit he just got rolled up on. We decided not to send him back out.

Sanders finished the campaign with 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdowns to just three interceptions. His dad has indicated he intends to return to the Buffaloes for his final year before moving on to the NFL in 2025, though nothing is confirmed on that front.

It's also unclear how much the fracture in his back will sideline him for the offseason.

Four-star quarterback recruit Antwann Hill has decommitted from Colorado, according to On3's Hayes Fawcett.

Hill is the No. 5 QB and No. 59 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class. He had committed to the Buffaloes in October.

Decommitments aren't uncommon, and no program is immune from losing a highly ranked prospect before they sign their letter of intent.

Hill's decision is a little concerning for Colorado, though, with how steadily the momentum from the Buffaloes' 3-0 start evaporated.

It wasn't just that the team lost eight of its nine last games.

Head coach Deion Sanders' decision to demote highly regarded offensive coordinator Sean Lewis remains puzzling. Tight ends coach Tim Brewster announced Sunday he has resigned, and the timing of Hill's decommitment may not be a total coincidence since Colorado's bio for Brewster boasts of his abilities as a recruiter.

Tim Brewster served as an assistant for Deion Sanders at both Jackson State and Colorado. Former Minnesota HC and longtime assistant/top recruiter at major programs. https://t.co/wpggDx83IQ

— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) November 26, 2023

What looked to be a solid staff behind Sanders might already require some reshuffling.

And speaking of reshuffling, Sanders and his assistants have a lot of work ahead to attract the kind of talent that will help to get Colorado to the next level.

The Buffaloes sit 60th in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2024, and they're 46th in the 2025 rankings with Hill no longer in the fold. To provide some context, Colorado finished 47th in 2022, when the program was coming off its fourth losing record in five seasons.

Sanders told reporters earlier this week that "there's not a day that goes by that kids aren't blowing our recruiting staff up." That might be true, but so far blue-chip talent hasn't pledged their allegiance to Colorado for next season, and now Sanders has lost a player who was set to be one of his biggest additions for 2025.