Pac-12 Football

Colorado football will be getting primetime treatment for its second game of the 2024 season.

The Buffs announced Monday their Sept. 7 matchup with Nebraska will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

September 7.
5:30pm MT on NBC.#GoBuffs 🦬 pic.twitter.com/CvByUzS2JC

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) May 13, 2024

The schools reignited their old rivalry, which was largely dormant after the Cornhuskers left for the Big Ten in 2011, last season. Colorado came away a 36-14 victor at home in Boulder.

That was the second game of the Coach Prime era and the win helped to send the hype around the program into overdrive. The Buffaloes went from being unranked to sitting 18th in the Associated Press Top 25 poll on the strength of a 2-0 start.

In addition to the results on the field going in the team's favor, head coach Deion Sanders turned Colorado football into must-watch television.

The air steadily went out of the balloon, however, thanks to eight losses in the final nine games. Not surprisingly, that had an accompanying effect on the viewership for Buffs games.

The Nebraska game figures to be the first real indicator of 2024 for how much that early buzz will be replicated.

Colorado opens with North Dakota State on Aug. 29, which could be a tricky game given the Bison's consistency at the FCS level. But the Buffs playing an opponent from a lower level on a Thursday night doesn't project to be a major draw for casual fans.

Even without the surge of interest caused by Sanders' arrival, Colorado vs. Nebraska is the kind of encounter that will always have some appeal among those who watched the schools regularly cross paths in the Big 12.

Throw in the various storylines — this being Year 2 for Sanders and the Cornhuskers' Matt Rhule, Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders as an outside Heisman contender and prospective first-round pick in 2025, highly touted freshman Dylan Raiola potentially leading the Nebraska offense — and it should attract plenty of viewers.

NBC is clearly banking on just that.

Former Colorado and Houston running back Alton McCaskill has committed to Arizona State, he told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

McCaskill expects to have three years of college eligibility remaining after sitting out the majority of the past two seasons, per Thamel.

McCaskill confirmed the news Thursday with a social media post.

Committed ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/5uhMKroJvv

— ALTO (@AltonMcaskillIV) May 9, 2024

He announced his plan to enter the transfer portal April 17 after requesting to redshirt following four games with Colorado last season, Thamel and On3's Kaiden Smith reported.

McCaskill also visited Arizona State while in the transfer portal last offseason before committing to Colorado, Thamel noted.

The Sun Devils have had McCaskill on their radar for years. The running back also said he received an offer from Arizona State prior to committing to Houston for his freshman season.?mjr

Arizona State will now hope to see McCaskill resume the level of play he showed during his AAC Rookie of the Year campaign for Houston in 2021, when he led all true freshman with 16 rushing touchdowns.

McCaskill is one of 41 outgoing transfers departing Colorado after Deion Sanders' first season as head coach in 2023, per 247Sports.

He joined the Buffaloes last summer after sitting out his entire sophomore season in Houston with an ACL injury.

At the time, Colorado was looking to bounce back from a 1-11 campaign in 2022 that led to near-complete roster turnover.

The team started out the 2023 season with four wins in six games but finished with six straight losses to mark a 4-8 record in part because of their offensive line's struggles.

McCaskill was sidelined with his knee injury for three games at the start of the season. He returned to the field to rush for 59 yards on 14 carries, while adding two catches for 19 yards, through four games before requesting to redshirt the rest of the campaign.

Per Smith, Sanders said in November that McCaskill's decision to sit out the rest of the season was because "it's been a while since he has had his full strength, and full potential, and ability to move and cut in explosion."

"So he wants to train and work his butt off and get into shape and come back in the spring and earn that number one spot," Sanders said at the time. "That's what he echoed to me and I love it."

McCaskill will face steep competition if he wants to earn the RB1 position at Arizona State. The Sun Devils' backfield is crowded with candidates including Cam Skattebo and DeCarlos Brooks, as well as USC transfer Raleek Brown and incoming four-star freshman Jason Brown.

After losing McCaskill, as well as running back Anthony Hankerson and Dylan Edwards, to the transfer portal, Sanders and the Buffaloes will be putting together an entirely new backfield for the 2024 season. So far Colorado has added Ohio State transfer Dallan Hayden and Miami transfer Rashad Amos in the portal.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders discussed his recent social media comments in an appearance on Thee Pregame Show.

"I gotta do better on that and not ride with it, but I was bored," Sanders said (14:30 mark). "I was bored, and I didn't say nothing hurtful. I don't attack people."

"Most of the time, I let it go," he added. "Sometimes, I'm having fun. Like, I was bored yesterday."

On Wednesday, Sanders responded to a fan on X that criticized Shedeur Sanders. After the fan called the Buffaloes' quarterback "the coldest out here" before adding that he'll "put up a 4-8 season," the elder Sanders replied.

He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol https://t.co/tGS6dfm7iy

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 1, 2024

The criticism by the fan stemmed from Shedeur's comments regarding Xavier Smith, a former Colorado player who entered the transfer portal. Smith wasn't pleased with the way Deion recommended players to hit the portal after he joined the team as head coach in Dec. 2022.

"He was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves," he said, per Max Olson of The Athletic. "The way he did it, it could've been done with a little more compassion."

Shedeur responded to the story with a post of his own on X, leading to the criticism that was directed at himself as well as Deion.

Ion even remember him tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best. https://t.co/qwK48Ys0Et

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 30, 2024

It's clear that the elder Sanders isn't taking the social media comments too seriously, and is entertaining himself as he prepares for the 2024 season to begin. The Buffaloes will look to build upon their 4-8 record in 2023 with Shedeur and two-way star Travis Hunter returning to the program.

Colorado also secured the No. 7 transfer class in the 2024 cycle, per 247Sports.

After putting the social media back-and-forth behind him, Coach Prime and the Buffaloes will gear up for the team's 2024 campaign.

Now that the 2024 NFL draft is in the books, it's time to start looking ahead to 2025.

Colorado has a pair of first-round talents in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way phenom Travis Hunter. In his first 2025 mock draft, ESPN's Jordan Reid predicted that the pair of Buffaloes will remain on the West Coast.

Reid projected the Las Vegas Raiders to trade up from the No. 10 spot to No. 5 to select Sanders and finally secure their quarterback of the future. The Raiders were thought to be in the quarterback market this year, but they didn't select a signal-caller with any of their eight picks and used their first-round selection (No. 13) on Georgia tight end Brock Bowers.

"With Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Brock Bowers on offense, the Raiders can set up a young passer really well," Reid stated. "And Sanders is a smooth operator whose game centers around his great ball placement (69.3% completion rate last season, eighth in the FBS) and calm demeanor when protected in the pocket."

Sanders, who is the son of Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, does have areas to improve. Reid noted that his "internal clock must speed up before he gets to the next level," as he took 52 sacks last season behind Colorado's lackluster offensive line. Still, Reid added that the youngster "has a ton of talent and can certainly be the answer for Las Vegas."

As for Hunter, Reid expects him to land with the Seattle Seahawks at the 11th pick. While he was limited to nine games last season, he showed the ability to excel both as a receiver and a cornerback, finishing with 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns on offense and 30 total tackles, five passes defended and three interceptions on defense.

"Is Hunter an NFL wide receiver or cornerback? That question will be asked a lot over the next 12 months, but I personally view him as a corner at the next level," Reid wrote. "The Seahawks already have two building blocks there in Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon, but adding Hunter as an interchangeable defensive back would give them options."

Sanders and Hunter surely will be motivated to use the 2024 season with the Buffaloes to work their way up draft boards.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders spent Wednesday morning going back and forth with his detractors on social media, but one of them had a mean comeback for Coach Prime.

When Sanders posted a tweet disparaging Austin Peay defensive back Jaheim Ward's stats, Ward fired back that he eclipsed Sanders' son, Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, in a key stat:

Damm it’s crazy I got more pass deflections then your son 🤡🤡 https://t.co/xgWgFUV6Rc pic.twitter.com/IRwm6mzieK

— Jaheim ward (@icyyward) May 1, 2024

Coach Prime also threw a shot at a fan who called out his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, for acting "like he the coldest out here then put up a 4-8 season." He responded by declaring that the signal-caller would be a top-five pick in the NFL draft and asking, "Where yo son going?"

He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol https://t.co/tGS6dfm7iy

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) May 1, 2024

The social media activity by Sanders is a continuation of the fallout from a story by The Athletic's Max Olson about the 53 scholarship players who left Colorado after Sanders was hired as head coach in December 2022. Xavier Smith, who transferred from Colorado to Austin Peay, told Olson that Sanders "was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves" by virtually forcing them to enter the transfer portal.

To make matters worse, Shedeur Sanders responded to the story by calling Smith "very mid":

Ion even remember him tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best. https://t.co/qwK48Ys0Et

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 30, 2024

In his first year as Colorado's head coach, Sanders led the team to a 4-8 record. The Buffaloes are in for another massive roster turnover, as Chris Hummer of CBS Sports noted that 24 players entered the transfer portal since it opened on April 16. Colorado is set to add 34 new players via the portal, giving the team the sixth-ranked transfer class in the country, per 247Sports.

Sanders is known and loved for his antics, but at this point, it could be best for him to tone things down while Colorado prepares for the 2024 season.

Shedeur Sanders isn't taking criticism of Colorado's program lying down.

The Buffaloes quarterback responded to criticism from safety Xavier Smith, calling his former teammate "very mid" in a social media post.

Ion even remember him tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best. https://t.co/qwK48Ys0Et

— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) April 30, 2024

Smith expressed frustration with how Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur's father, handled his situation upon the Hall of Famer's arrival in Boulder. According to Smith, his new coach told him to transfer and he would "waste a year" by staying.

"He was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves," Smith told Max Olson of The Athletic. "The way he did it, it could've been done with a little more compassion."

Smith eventually transferred to Austin Peay.

Sanders has been abundantly clear about his position regarding transfers since taking the Colorado job. He's there to revamp the entire program from the ground up. If a player does not fit his vision for the program, they're going to be cut or advised to transfer.

It's clear that type of cutthroat thinking will rub people—particularly those who thought they were committing to spending the next four years in one location—the wrong way. It's a professional mindset for a game that's long straddled the line between professionalism and the concept of the student-athlete.

Sanders' brutal honesty was bound to lead to bitterness from former players. One could give him credit for honesty, but that's likely little solace for a player who saw their dream ripped away.

As far as Shedeur responding to player comments, it's understandable but not the best look for the program.

Colorado safety Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig hit back at the criticism leveled at the program and head coach Deion Sanders by some players who transferred out last season.

Silmon-Craig said people are "tryna paint this bad image of my coach and the program."

boy they stay tryna paint this bad image of my coach and the program when reality if you work yo butt off and make plays you will be celebrated and appreciated an if you don’t do those things your not built for this team just the truth💯 EVERYBODY HAS A OPPORTUNITY https://t.co/JIOdEc2j79

— Cam’Ron ”KILLA” Silmon-Craig🕺🏼 (@camronsilmon7) April 30, 2024

On Monday, The Athletic's Max Olson listed off all of the players who exited Colorado after Sanders' arrival and interviewed some of the ex-Buffs in question, which elicited some candid responses.

Olson noted how "first-year coaches running off underperforming players are commonplace in college football," though the degree to which Sanders overhauled his roster was exceptional.

Chase Sowell, who transferred to East Carolina, told Olson a divide emerged between the players who stayed and those recruited by Sanders and his staff.

"We felt like it was us vs. them instead of all of us together," he said. "That's the best way I can put it. The new guys were going against the players that had already been there. It wasn't a good environment to be in. It wasn't a team environment."

There was the added pressure of having cameras following practices and team meetings for two different ventures: an Amazon documentary and Deion Sanders Jr.'s Well Off Media YouTube channel. Both Sowell and Xavier Smith, who transferred to Austin Peay, made a comparison to a reality television show.

Smith also took issue with what he thought was Sanders' cold treatment toward players he didn't rate that highly.

"He was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves," Smith said to Olson. "The way he did it, it could've been done with a little more compassion."

Sanders can point to plenty of positives from his first year.

The Hall of Fame cornerback brought more attention to Colorado that it has seen in years and perhaps ever. Even with a prolonged slide to the finish line, the Buffs improved by three wins. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter could both be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft.

One can't help but to wonder, however, whether some word of mouth is getting out about Colorado.

The Buffaloes sit just 80th in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2024 recruiting class, and while they're sixth in the transfer portal team rankings, that's down from a first-place finish in 2023. Even attendance for the spring game fell significantly, though part of that was down to the rainy conditions in Boulder.

It's too early to say the Coach Prime experiment is approaching a pivotal moment because even with the advent of the transfer portal building up a team into a serious contender takes time. Another losing season will, on the other hand, lead more people to ask whether the plan is built on a shaky foundation.

Deion Sanders' arrival as Colorado's head coach in December 2022 led to an unprecedented number of transfers, but a new report revealed that many players weren't happy with Coach Prime's approach to the situation.

Former Buffaloes safety Xavier Smith was among the players who spoke to The Athletic's Max Olson and criticized the way Sanders handled the roster turnover ahead of the 2023 season.

"He was destroying guys' confidence and belief in themselves," Smith said. "The way he did it, it could've been done with a little more compassion."

A total of 53 scholarship players transferred out of Colorado by the end of last spring. Olson noted that 20 of them were removed in a single day by Sanders following the Buffaloes' spring game. It was also reported that 15 transfer players landed at Power Five programs, 22 at Group of Five programs, 11 in FCS or Division II, and two at junior colleges. Three players went unsigned and haven't played since.

When Colorado opened the 2023 season, a total of 87 newcomers were on the roster. The Buffaloes started out 3-0 before disappointingly finishing the season with a 4-8 record.

Sanders made it clear when he was hired following his successful three-year run at Jackson State that he intended to bring some changes to the Colorado football program. Former Buffaloes wide receiver Chase Sowell said every day felt like a tryout for the team's incumbent players, which created a stressful, high-pressure environment. The constant presence of the cameras for Sanders' documentary series on Amazon and his son's YouTube channel didn't help matters, either.

"It kinda felt like a reality TV show," Sowell said

When Sanders' son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, joined two-way star Travis Hunter and 19 other transfers brought in for spring practice, Colorado's returning players felt like they were being pushed out.

"We felt like it was us vs. them instead of all of us together," Sowell said. "That's the best way I can put it. The new guys were going against the players that had already been there. It wasn't a good environment to be in. It wasn't a team environment."

The treatment of certain players didn't sit well with the upperclassmen, some of whom would have had roster spots if they decided to stay.

"In our O-line group chat, one of the offensive line coaches texted the group and said, 'Good luck fellas,' and then he just removed all of them. It said these five people were removed from the chat. We were like, 'Huh? What happened?'" recounted offensive tackle Jake Wiley, who entered the transfer portal two days after that instance, making him one of seven returning starters to depart the team.

Sanders is in for more changes this offseason, as 30 players chose to transfer from Colorado, including 18 players who were brought in to replace the players he cut last year.

Although the 2025 NFL draft is still far away, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could cement himself as a high first-round pick with another impressive year as a member of the Buffaloes.

A pro personnel director was specifically impressed with the signal-caller's arm strength ahead of his 2024 campaign, telling NFL insider Jordan Schultz that there's a "shot" that both Sanders and two-way standout Travis Hunter are selected within the first five picks in 2025.

"Shedeur's special man," the personnel director said. "I don't think he gets enough credit for how natural a thrower he is and how strong his arm his."

Sanders wrapped up a tremendous inaugural year at Colorado in 2023, setting a school record with 3,230 passing yards in a single season. He also completed 69.3 percent of his throws, recording 27 touchdowns compared to just four interceptions.

SHEDEUR SANDERS DIME TO TRAVIS HUNTER 😮‍💨

(via @CFBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/RVV5iWgFIG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 18, 2023

His performance was even more impressive considering the Buffaloes' subpar offensive line, as Sanders was sacked 52 times in just 11 games.

In Monday's way-too-early 2025 first-round mock draft from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, the 22-year-old was selected with the No. 14 overall pick.

If Sanders is able to improve even further in 2024 and help Colorado surpass the team's previous record of 4-8, he could rise even higher in the 2025 draft.

Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter could be a big beneficiary of the NFL's new kickoff rules in the eyes of one personnel director when he takes the step up to the next level, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

The personnel official told Schultz that Hunter will be a "major" playmaker with how the league is approaching kickoffs now.

The NFL instituted a number of rules in the name of player safety that effectively neutralized the traditional return specialist. Too many kicks ended in touchbacks and coverage teams were increasingly unable to create space for the returner.

League officials are looking to change that by drastically altering kickoffs ahead of the 2024 season. Largely adopted from an idea first put forward by the XFL, players from both teams will be separated by five yards before the ball is kicked. There's also a new "landing zone" from the 20-yard line and in, which encourages kickers to boot the ball into that area.

Kicking off a new era: Owners just approved the NFL Hybrid Kickoff rule, per source.

After years of tweaks turned one of the game’s most exciting moments into a “dead, ceremonial play”, the league hopes this overhaul will yield what it wants: fewer injuries and more returns. pic.twitter.com/jHLAjZJm0z

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 26, 2024

The goal is to not just have more kickoffs get fielded but also open up the field a bit for the return man.

WEEEE LOOOOOVE XFL KICKOOOOOFFS!!!

UNREAL.

📺 @espn
🖥 https://t.co/qZVDJBytZi pic.twitter.com/kudFLbJCW2

— United Football League (@TheUFL) February 23, 2020

Nobody knows how this will actually look in practice, but it could mean special teams becomes more of a factor again beyond just punting and field goals.

Because he was splitting his time between wide receiver and defensive back, Hunter didn't feature in any punt returns or kickoffs for the Buffs. But his explosiveness in the open field was clear for all to see in 2023. He had 721 receiving yards and five touchdowns along with three interceptions.

Hunter will inevitably pick between offense and defense in the NFL, and focusing on one over the other should put him in play for return duty.

If the kickoff becomes an important play once again, then that will undoubtedly be part of how teams evaluate Hunter ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.