Deion Sanders

The concept of Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders coaching his son, Shedeur, at the NFL level doesn't have unanimous approval.

"I hope for Shedeur that doesn't happen and he has to be his own man in his own career," an AFC executive said, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Adam Rittenberg.

Shedeur has started at quarterback under his father dating back to their days at Jackson State. Since the pair joined Colorado in 2022, they've both helped the school's impressive turnaround.

After finishing with a 1-11 record in the year prior to the coaching change, the Buffaloes finished 4-8 in their first season under Deion and currently sit at 9-3 during their 2024 campaign.

Shedeur is in the midst of another incredible year, completing 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. He's also added four scores on the ground.

The 22-year-old is expected to be playing on Sundays in the near future, as Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department projected him as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft during the latest mock of the top 10 selections.

Given Deion's strong start to his career patrolling the sidelines at Colorado, there has been speculation that he may receive interest from NFL teams in the midst of coaching changes.

While there is a possibility that he could reunite with his son on the professional stage, some executives aren't convinced that it's the right path for Shedeur.

Deion Sanders' Colorado team had the best offensive player and defensive player in the Big 12 in the Buffaloes' first year back in the conference.

Bryan Fischer of Sports Illustrated relayed this season's Big 12 awards Thursday, and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took home the Offensive Player of the Year while teammate Travis Hunter captured the Defensive Player of the Year.

Elsewhere, Arizona State's Kenny Dillingham won the Coach of the Year after putting his Sun Devils in position to make the College Football Playoff with a win in Saturday's Big 12 Championship Game.

Hunter winning Defensive Player of the Year is notable, as part of what makes him such a special playmaker is his ability to dominate on both sides of the ball.

The junior had 32 tackles, 11 passes defended and four interceptions while playing cornerback this season and added 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver. His stamina alone stands out as he plays the majority of the snaps in every game, and his presence is a major reason the Buffaloes improved from 4-8 in 2023 to 9-3 in 2024.

Sanders was also a primary reason for the improvement, and the Big 12 found a way to recognize both stars by giving Hunter the defensive award and the quarterback the offensive one.

The son of the team's head coach completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions. There were games when he had to put the team on his back, fight through questionable offensive line play and go into takeover mode, and that has surely caught the attention of NFL scouts.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Hunter as the best overall player and Sanders as the ninth-best player and second-best quarterback in its most recent big board of prospects for the 2025 draft.

Yet Colorado fell just short of the Big 12 Championship Game.

Dillingham's Sun Devils will take on Iowa State, and the winner will clinch a spot in the CFP field as one of the five highest-ranked conference champions. Arizona State was 3-9 in each of the last two seasons, so its turnaround is perhaps even more impressive than Colorado's.

And the driving forces behind both teams were honored Thursday.

There's no denying Deion Sanders' ability as a college head coach, but there are some concerns within the NFL about his style resonating with pro players.

One NFL personnel director told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler that Sanders "can be hard to work for" and his message may not connect with players at the next level.

"He's a good fundraiser and college guys buy into what he sells," the personnel director said. "He's tried to hire good coaches, but [I] have heard that he can be hard to work for. And I'm not sure the NFL guys will be in as quickly and also stay as engaged."

There is a long list of coaches who have had tremendous success in college, but their approach just didn't work in the NFL for whatever reason. Urban Meyer's brief stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars is the most recent example, but he had been out of coaching for two years before being hired by the Jaguars in 2021.

Nick Saban is the best example of an all-time great college coach who wasn't cut out for the NFL. His two-year stint with the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06 wasn't a disaster in the same way Meyer's tenure in Jacksonville was, but it certainly didn't go well.

Fox Sports' Jay Glazer revealed in 2021 that Daunte Culpepper and Zach Thomas both wanted to fight Saban at various points during his run with the Dolphins because they didn't respond well to his brand of coaching.

Just because people like Saban and Meyer failed in the NFL doesn't automatically mean Sanders would if he made the jump, but their struggles are a good reminder of just how different coaching college athletes is compared to pro players.

No one will really know whether or not Sanders is cut out to be an NFL head coach until he tries it, if that's something he is interested in doing.

Given how quickly Sanders transformed Jackson State and Colorado into successful programs, it wouldn't be a surprise if an NFL team kicks the tires on hiring him this offseason.

The Las Vegas Raiders are cited as a "potential fit" for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

Fowler reported people within the NFL "are watching closely" to see whether the Raiders will move on from their current coach, Antonio Pierce, after just one full season at the helm.

"The belief among many in the league is that Tom Brady, now a minority owner of the Raiders, will have some level of influence over major decisions, and team owner Mark Davis will covet his knowledge and insight," he said. "If Brady is looking for a fellow GOAT, Sanders has a compelling case as the best cornerback in NFL history."

Fowler cited the other reason why there's broad discussion over whether Sanders could wind up in Sin City.

The Raiders desperately need to find their next franchise quarterback and they're on track to get a top-five pick, which could help them land Colorado star Shedeur Sanders. Maybe Deion and Shedeur could take their father/son partnership to the NFL.

Coach Prime, for his part, has reaffirmed his long-term commitment to Colorado.

"I'm happy where I am, man," he said in November. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy, I'm excited. I'm enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do."

The Buffs will lose their two best players this offseason assuming Shedeur and two-way star Travis Hunter officially declare for the 2025 NFL draft. But Sanders has consistently had success in the transfer portal, and Colorado's 2025 recruiting class is 37th in 247Sports' composite team rankings. That's up significantly from a 95th-place finish in 2024.

After going 9-3 in the regular season and winning seven Big 12 games, the Buffaloes could take a slight step backward next season because Shedeur and Hunter are irreplaceable, the latter in particular. The coach has the program on an upward trajectory, though, with a stronger and stronger foundation.

He may not want to leave that behind for what would be a big risk based on the history of college coaches making the jump to the NFL.

Amid the best season for Colorado football in at least eight years, there is optimism that Deion Sanders will remain with the program as head coach in 2025.

Per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Adam Rittenberg, one person with the Colorado program said that Sanders is "acting as if" he will be with the team next season.

"I think he's all-in," the person said. "Normally, you can tell when guys are fed up and they're trying to leave and they're unhappy. They're probably going to pay him a lot of money, extend his contract, keep him happy."

Another source connected to the program told Fowler and Rittenberg that the university gives Sanders "a lot of leeway" to make additional money off the field: "You can't watch football for 15 minutes and not see Deion."

Sanders' future is the biggest storyline for Colorado until there is a definitive answer one way or another.

There has been speculation for some time that Coach Prime might make the jump to the NFL. He's been connected to the Dallas Cowboys if they move on from Mike McCarthy, but he hasn't publicly shown any interest in the job.

ESPN's Adam Schefter noted last month it's not impossible to imagine a scenario in which Deion and Shedeur Sanders try to go to the same NFL team together.

Shedeur is one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class and could end up being the top overall pick depending on how things play out during the pre-draft process.

As things currently stand, the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears all have head-coaching vacancies going into the offseason. That list will grow when the regular season ends on Jan. 5.

Colorado has been doing well on the 2025 recruiting circuit. The team has the 37th-ranked incoming freshman class with 14 total commits, including six 4-star prospects. This group doesn't even include the transfer portal, which Sanders has used to dramatically overhaul his roster over the past two years.

The Buffaloes finished the regular season in a four-way tie for the best record in the Big 12, but they missed out on playing in the conference title game due to tiebreakers. They are projected to play in the Alamo Bowl against BYU on Dec. 28.

Colorado is trending in the right direction under Deion Sanders, and the head coach surely hopes his newest recruiting class will help him keep that momentum.

The early signing period for the 2025 class started Wednesday, and the Buffaloes are putting together an impressive group.

As of Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET, they have the No. 37 overall class on 247Sports' composite rankings. That group features the following 13 players who have already signed their letter of intent (star rankings are per 247Sports).

• Julian Lewis, QB, 4-stars
• Chauncey Gooden, IOL, 4-stars
• London Merritt, Edge, 4-stars
• Adrian Wilson, WR, 4-stars
• Quanell X Farrakhan Jr., WR, 4-stars
• Carde Smith, OT, 3-stars
• Mantrez Walker, LB, 3-stars
• Antonio Branch Jr., S, 3-stars
• Zayne DeSouza, TE, 3-stars
• Alexander McPherson, DL, 3-stars
• Quentin Gibson, WR, 3-stars
• Corbin Laisure, TE, 3-stars
• Jay Gardenhire, OT, 3-stars

Quarterback Julian Lewis is the clear headliner, and he will be following in some big footsteps.

That is because Shedeur Sanders thrived under center for the Buffaloes this season and is a primary reason why they went 9-3 after finishing 4-8 during the 2023 campaign. Sanders has completed 74.2 percent of his passes for 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 2024.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked him as the No. 2 quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft on its latest big board and called him the most accurate and most pro-ready among all the signal-callers.

Perhaps Lewis saw how Sanders thrived in Colorado's program and jumped at the chance to come develop at the Big 12 school.

While he surely won't have Travis Hunter to throw to after the two-way star goes to the NFL, he has some weapons joining him in this recruiting class. Wide receivers Adrian Wilson and Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. bring star potential, while Quentin Gibson provides depth.

This class also features two tight ends in Corbin Laisure and Zayne DeSouza, so there will be no shortage of options for Lewis to target and build chemistry with as he starts his collegiate career.

Protecting Lewis also seems to be a priority in this class, as offensive linemen Chauncey Gooden, Carde Smith and Jay Gardenhire are all heading to Colorado as well.

There is still time for Sanders to add to this group with the early signing period running through Friday ahead of the traditional February signing period. But it is off to a good start and seems to be a collection of talented prospects who can help build the momentum already in place at the program following the jump from 2023 to 2024.

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter may be sticking around for a bowl game, but they likely won't be in Boulder for long.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said ahead of Friday's 52-0 shutout of Oklahoma State that Sanders and Hunter would be playing in a bowl game "because our fans deserve the absolute best."

But Sanders and Hunter are both potential first-round picks in the 2025 NFL draft, and whatever their bowl game and College Football Playoff results, the Buffaloes are due for major turnover this offseason.

Here's a look at which members of the 2024-25 Colorado roster are on track to leave the Buffaloes after this season.

Travis Hunter (WR/CB)

Hunter recently told reporters he "for sure" plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft. He is a lock to be selected after excelling on both offense and defense this season, even if his future pro team may limit him to one position. The B/R NFL Scouting Department currently projects him as the No. 1 pick of the draft. The two-way star has one year of college eligibility remaining but is a veritable lock to leave Boulder after this season.

Shedeur Sanders (QB)

Another projected first-round pick by B/R NFL scouts, Shedeur has also indicated he plans to enter the 2025 NFL draft rather than using his final year of college eligibility. Given that Colorado successfully flipped the commitment of five-star quarterback prospect Julian Lewis, the Buffaloes are already prepared to work on replacing him next season.

Shilo Sanders (S)

Shilo is less of a lock for the 2025 NFL draft than his brother. After undergoing shoulder surgery last spring, he has at times struggled to be effective on defense for the Buffaloes, and NFL Mock Draft Database shows his draft odds dropping throughout the 2024-25 season. Regardless of his draft results, the safety is in his final year of college eligibility and will not be returning to Boulder.

Dayon Hayes (DE)

Hayes transferred from Pitt last spring and provided a boost to the Buffaloes defense for the beginning of the season. He most recently played for the Buffs on Sept. 21 before undergoing surgery that ruled him out for the rest of the season. His injury calls into question his NFL draft odds, but given that he arrived in Boulder with just one year of eligibility and a redshirt season available he is likely to move on from the team this spring.

Jimmy Horn Jr. (WR)

Like Hayes, Horn is playing in his final year of eligibility. Also like Hayes, he has been sidelined with an injury, last playing on Nov. 9 at Texas Tech. With LaJohntay Wester and Will Sheppard having joined the team during the offseason, Horn had already seen his target share decrease prior to the injury, which could impact his draft odds coming out of his final season with the Buffaloes.

Will Sheppard (WR)

Another wideout in his final year of eligibility, Sheppard saw his draft stock climb as he received more targets following Horn's injury. He will be headed out of Boulder hoping to hear his name called in a later round of the draft.

LaJohntay Wester (WR)

Wester has seen his draft stock climb after he moved to the Big 12 out of Florida Atlantic ahead of his final year of college eligibility. He will join Horn and Sheppard as late-round draft hopefuls after this season.

Sanders recently told reporters that, like in previous seasons, the Buffaloes plan on using the transfer portal to fill in for holes in the roster.

"We haven't spoken to all the guys that are probably going to jump in the portal, but we're going to do some good things and replace some players who are pretty much irreplaceable," Sanders said.

Before taking another big swing at the transfer portal, the Buffaloes will continue leaning on Hunter and Sanders as the team prepares for its first bowl game since 2020.

No one is more confident in Travis Hunter's chances of winning the Heisman Trophy than his coach, Deion Sanders.

Following Hunter's standout performance in Colorado's 52-0 blowout victory over Oklahoma State, where he recorded 116 receiving yards on 10 receptions and three touchdowns, Sanders believes the competition is settled.

"Travis clinched the Heisman with his performance," Sanders told reporters after the game.

Hunter recorded one tackle and one interception on defense and his all-around performance was more than enough for Sanders to praise him after the game.

"What did he (have)? Three touchdowns, 100 yards and an interception and two passes broken up," said Sanders. "He should have had another pick, hit him right in the darn chest. I'm not happy with that but I'm happy with him."

Sanders' Heisman endorsement comes just days after he expressed frustration over Hunter being excluded from the list of finalists for the Jim Thorpe Award.

The Buffaloes' head coach won the award himself in 1988 while at Florida State.

"How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Thorpe Award?" Sanders told reporters on Tuesday, per USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer. "You can have my award. You can have it back. Matter of fact, I'm going to give him mine. I ain't using it. It's just sitting up there collecting dust. So Travis can have my Thorpe Award, because if this ain't the most idiotic thing in college football, that he's not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and he is, I would say arguably, but I don't think it's really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football."

Hunter has -10000 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy, ahead of competitors Ashton Jeanty (+2500), Cam Ward (+20000) and Dillon Gabriel (+25000), according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

The Colorado Buffaloes are continuing to wreck havoc on the recruiting trail.

Within a span of 30 minutes on Thursday night, the Buffaloes flipped the commitments of London Merritt, Alexander McPherson, Carde Smith and Quentin Gibson. The four had consecutive appearances on the Nightcap show hosted by Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco.

Merritt and McPherson are both edge rushers while Smith is an offensive tackle and Gibson is a wide receiver.

This wave of commitments comes just a week after the Buffaloes landed four-star quarterback Julian Lewis. The Buffaloes now have 15 hard commits and have the No. 32 ranked 2025 class, per 247 Sports composite rankings.

Merritt is the star of Thursday's commitments. He the No. 144 player nationally and the No. 13 edge rusher per 247's composite rankings. He has a 6-foot-two-and-a half, 250-pound frame and plays for IMG Academy. He had 39 total offers and was previously committed to Ohio State.

McPherson is also at IMG Academy and is rated as a three-star recruit by 247 Sports composite rankings. He has a six-foot-five-and-a half, 240-pound frame and had 19 total offers. He was previously committed to Oklahoma State.

Carde Smith is a four-star recruit per 247's composite rankings and plays at Williamson High School in Mobile, Alabama. He was previously committed to USC. Gibson is a three-star recruit from Fort Worth, Texas and had 26 total offers.