SWAC Football

Shedeur Sanders had himself a season debut.

The Jackson State sophomore quarterback was on fire against FAMU, finishing 29-of-33 for 323 yards and five touchdowns in Jackson State's 59-3 win on Sunday.

Suffice to say, Sanders—the son of Jackson State head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders—was all the talk on Twitter:

And for good reason—he threw some dimes against a helpless FAMU defense.

Sunday's performance doesn't come as any sort of surprise. Sanders threw for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions as a freshman, completing 65.9 percent of his passes. He also rushed for three scores and led Jackson State to an 11-2 record and a Southwestern Athletic Conference title.

That earned them a berth in the Celebration Bowl, where they lost to South Carolina State, 31-10.

How far Jackson State goes this season remains to be seen. But the Tigers certainly got off to an excellent start, led by their star quarterback.

Pro Football Hall of Famer and Jackson State head football coach Deion Sanders spoke out Friday about the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi.

Ahead of Jackson State's opening game of the 2022 season against Florida A&M on Sunday, Sanders said of the situation in Jackson: "We just hope we can afford to give the people an escape for the period of time ... so they can get their minds off the true issues at hand. It's a tremendous burden, but it's way bigger than football."

Per CNN's Nouran Salahieh, Jason Hanna and Amir Vera, the acute water issue in Jackson began Monday when flooding caused a water treatment plan to fail, causing little or no water to come out of faucets in the city.

In some cases, the water coming out of faucets has been brown and undrinkable, forcing businesses and schools to be shut down in Jackson, with public schools and Jackson State classes held virtually.

CNN noted that even before the damaged water treatment plant went into failure, a boil-water notice had been in place for a month in Jackson. Because of crumbling infrastructure, this is just the latest in a series of water issues residents have faced.

In addition to expressing his hope that Jackson State football can bring some joy to the residents of Jackson, Sanders praised the work of Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba:

"Ain't nobody complaining. Ain't nobody trippin. They might be uneasy because they want information. The governor, our mayor are doing a phenomenal job—to me—in supporting that. But all [the people of Jackson] want is hope and desire.

"And guess what? The Jackson State University football team gave them that. And we plan on giving them that."

Sanders is widely regarded as one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history after enjoying a 14-year career in the league with the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens.

He recorded 53 interceptions during his career and was an eight-time Pro Bowler, six-time first-team All-Pro, two-time Super Bowl champion and one-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Sanders broke into coaching at the high school level in 2012 and became the head coach at Jackson State in 2020.

After leading Jackson State to a 4-3 record during the pandemic-shortened season of 2020, he helped the Tigers improve to 11-2 last season, including a 9-0 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The Orange Blossom Classic will be played Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in Miami, and fans can watch Jackson State clash with Florida A&M on ESPN2.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders has added former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer to his coaching staff as an analyst, Zimmer told Thee Pregame Show.

Sanders had previously teased the hire after the coach spoke to his team Tuesday:

Sanders hired Zimmer's nephew Andrew Zimmer as an analyst in June.

"I’m grateful that Coach Prime was willing to bring me here to help this team win football games," Mike Zimmer said. "I’m excited to be around a winning team and see what a winning team looks like and help bring the program to another championship season."

Zimmer joined the Dallas Cowboys staff in 1994, becoming the defensive backs coach one year later. He coached Sanders for the entirety of Prime Time's five-year run with the team.

They have maintained a friendship since going their separate ways.

The Vikings fired Zimmer in January, bringing an end to his tenure as head coach after eight seasons. Minnesota went 72-56-1 and made three playoff appearances under the 66-year-old.

Jackson State football head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders said during SWAC Media Day (h/t Mike Rodak of al.com) that his team is not ready to play Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide, although he appears open to it down the road as his program develops.

"He's not gonna play us right now," Sanders said at SWAC media day in Birmingham. "We're not ready to that. We're not into sacrificing our kids to get a check. He got to give me another year."

The question to Sanders regarding Alabama was in response to Saban fielding a question at SEC media days regarding whether he'd be open to playing in-state HBCUs Alabama State and Alabama A&M, per Touchdown Alabama.

"I think I certainly can see," Saban said. "We've tried to be very supportive. Miss Terry is on the Board of Trustees at Stillman College. I've always been an advocate of playing in-state schools because I think it sort of helps them raise their level and their ability to compete, which obviously if you do that, you also contribute to how successful the players in those organizations can be, So I would be very much in favor of that."

Sanders' Jackson State Tigers were one of the best HBCU football teams in 2021. They went 11-2, won the SWAC and made the Celebration Bowl, where the Tigers fell to South Carolina State.

Sanders has done tremendous work at Jackson State in his two seasons there, but he noted that a size differential on the lines of scrimmage is preventing meetings with Power Five schools right now.

"I got to beef up in the front," he said, per Rodak. "The difference in Power 5s and HBCUs right now is those big guys in the middle. It's not the quarterbacks, it's not the receivers and DBs or the skill positions. It's those big dogs in the middle. We've got to beef up that to be able to compete with something like that."

Sanders has already made recruiting waves, notably adding 5-star athlete Travis Hunter to the mix. Saban claimed he read that Hunter signed a million-dollar NIL deal with Jackson State. Hunter denied that report, and Sanders made his own remarks.

Ultimately, Sanders has his team riding a massive wave of momentum, and it's conceivable to see them reach greater heights and compete well against Division I-FBS programs today. That day is not imminent, but it appears to be a possibility under Sanders' leadership.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said he's open to the program setting up a future game against FCS opponent Jackson State, which is coached by NFL legend Deion Sanders.

"It's been great to see Deion's success, Coach Sanders' success and how well he's doing," Kiffin told reporters Monday at SEC media days. "I don't know future plans on that, but that would be exciting."

Sanders took over the Jackson State program in 2020, and he's helped the squad turn a corner. The Tigers have compiled a 15-5 record across his first two seasons, highlighted by winning the SWAC Championship Game last season.

While that success combined with Sanders' high-profile status makes Jackson State an intriguing schedule option for Power Five teams—the matchup would create far more interest than a usual buy game—the former cornerback isn't always a fan.

In September, Sanders told Andscape's Jean-Jacques Taylor that "all money ain't good money."

"Normally you just get paid to get beat. Your program makes a little more money than they normally would and you go get your butt kicked," he said. "I don't believe in that. I don't know how that helps anybody."

Jackson State athletic director Ashley Robinson agreed with Sanders, saying the program would turn down most Power Five offers in favor of games against FBS opponents where the Tigers could be more competitive.

Robinson confirmed the exception would be in-state opponents like Ole Miss or Southern Miss.

"Those games would be historic," Robinson told Taylor. "Those are the only Power Five games we'll be looking at."

So a showdown between Kiffin's Rebels and Sanders' Tigers could be possible in the coming years. A season-opening matchup would be particularly attractive if the sides eventually come to terms.

For now, the focus is the upcoming campaign. Ole Miss opens the 2022 season Sept. 3 when it hosts Troy at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, while Jackson State will play Florida A&M at Hard Rock Stadium for its opener Sept. 4.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders offered a frank assessment of the ongoing realignment taking place throughout college football.

Appearing on SportsCenter (starts at 2:00 mark) on Saturday, Sanders noted that realignment is just a way of "chasing the bag" with programs across the country trying to make the most money possible.

College football has been in chaos in recent years with several teams across the country switching conferences.

The most significant change came in July 2021 when Oklahoma and Texas unanimously voted to accept invitations from the SEC and leave the Big 12.

Brian Davis of the Austin American-Statesman reported last month that 2024 was a realistic target date for the schools to join the SEC.

Per CNBC's Jabari Young, Texas and Oklahoma could earn more than $60 million annually in the SEC. They earned $34.5 million from the Big 12 in the 2020-21 fiscal year.

In the wake of the move, the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced an alliance to bring the schools in those conferences together "on a collaborative approach surrounding the future evolution of college athletics and scheduling."

That didn't last long, as the Big Ten announced June 30 that UCLA and USC accepted invitations to join the conference for the 2024-25 academic year.

Per Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post, UCLA and USC are likely to earn in the neighborhood of $80 million per season in the Big Ten.

New Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark told reporters this week that the conference was "open for business" as it looks to attract new schools with the looming departures by Oklahoma and Texas.

The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach noted there has been speculation that all this movement will lead to two megaconferences, with the Big Ten and SEC fielding "20 or more members apiece."

Realignment has been going on for years prior to these recent seismic shifts. Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Louisville joined the ACC within the past 10 years, and Notre Dame also joined the conference in 2013 in all sports except football.

BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston are set to join the Big 12 in 2023.

There will almost certainly be something lost in college football with realignment taking away traditional rivalries that have helped endear the sport to fans across the country. But with so much money on the table, it's no surprise schools are maximizing their earning potential.

Rapper Ja Rule announced Friday on Instagram that he will be donating money to the Jackson State football program, and head coach Deion Sanders was quick to thank him for the gesture.

"I wanna thank my brother Ja Rule for hitting me up and including our program in his heart along with several other HBCUs," Sanders said, per TMZ Sports. "My brother I've always admired and applauded you from afar but this is a true blessing for our team.

"God bless u my brother!"

Ja Rule is using some of the proceeds from the sales of 1,000 one-of-one NFTs to donate to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Jackson State. Hampton, Morgan, Spelman and Moorehouse will also be receiving donations.

This marks the second large donation to Jackson State this week. Rapper Diddy pledged $1 million each to Jackson State and Howard University during the BET Awards on Sunday, per TMZ Sports.

Sanders became head coach of the Tigers in 2020. After going 4-3 in his first season, Jackson State went an impressive 11-2 in 2021 and also 247Sports' top-ranked recruit in Travis Hunter.

The Tigers should be one of the more interesting teams to watch in college football during the 2022 campaign.

Jackson State head coach Deion Sanders reacted to the latest Sports Illustrated cover that featured his program by saying "so clean, we're dirty."

Sanders is joined by his son and quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, as well as defensive back Travis Hunter on the cover. The head coach called it a "monumental moment" for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Sanders and Hunter are the first HBCU players on the cover of the magazine since Steve McNair in 1994.

Hunter was the No. 1 overall player in the class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings and was recently in the headlines after Alabama head coach Nick Saban told reporters, "Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school. It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

While Saban didn't specifically mention Hunter, the defensive back pushed back on Twitter:

Saban has since apologized for singling out Jackson State and Texas A&M in his comments about college football in the name, image and likeness era.

As for Sanders, Jackson State hired him as its head coach in 2020.

The program went 11-2 last season and opens the 2022 campaign against Florida A&M on Sept. 4.

Jackson State head coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders has responded to Alabama head coach Nick Saban saying that the school paid Travis Hunter, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2022 class, $1 million for him to play for the Tigers.

Sanders told Jean-Jacques Taylor of Andscape:

“I haven’t talked to Coach Saban. I’m sure he’s tried to call. We need to talk publicly — not privately. What you said was public. That doesn’t require a conversation. Let’s talk publicly and let everybody hear the conversation. You can’t do that publicly and call privately. No, no, no. I still love him. I admire him. I respect him. He’s the magna cum laude of college football and that’s what it’s going to be because he’s earned that.

Sanders' comments come after Hunter himself denied being paid $1 million to play for Jackson State in a social media post on Thursday morning. 

Sanders also tweeted that Saban's comments weren't true. 

Saban turned heads Wednesday night after saying Texas A&M, which had the top-ranked recruiting class last year, "bought every player on their team" while speaking about how NIL is impacting the college football landscape. 

The 70-year-old also made a comment about the Tigers landing Hunter, who was originally committed to Florida State before flipping his commitment to Jackson State in December 2021. 

"Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school," Saban said Wednesday, per Brett Greenberg of the Tuscaloosa News. "It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

There were rumors circulating at the time Hunter committed to Jackson State that Barstool Sports offered him $1 million to play for the Tigers, per Sports Illustrated's Dan Lyons. The speculation arose because Barstool Sports is associated with Sanders through his 21st and Prime podcast.

Sanders denied the rumor during an appearance on ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill and Max (h/t TMZ Sports) in December, saying that they didn't pay Hunter to play for Jackson State. 

"We didn't pay," Sanders said. "We ain't got no money! We ain't got no money! A million and a half? I heard a million and a half. And I heard Dave Portnoy over at Barstool—that's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

It's possible Saban only made his comments because a number of schools, such as Texas A&M, are landing top-ranked recruits due to NIL deals, and the changing landscape could make it more difficult for Alabama to land the best players in the country. 

Jackson State cornerback Travis Hunter responded to an apparent allegation from Alabama head coach Nick Saban about the name, image and likeness (NIL) deals he received to choose the FCS program.

Saban discussed the direction of college sports in the NIL era on Wednesday. He made headlines by saying Texas A&M "bought every player on their team," but also made a remark about Jackson State, per Brett Greenberg of the Tuscaloosa News.

"Jackson State paid a guy a million dollars last year that was a really good Division I player to come to school," Saban said. "It was in the paper. They bragged about it. Nobody did anything about it."

He didn't mention any player by name.

Tigers head coach Deion Sanders described Saban's comment as a "lie":

He later joked about his own salary:

In December, Dan Lyons of Sports Illustrated noted there was unconfirmed speculation Barstool Sports, which holds an association with Sanders via his 21st and Prime podcast, offered Hunter over $1 million on an NIL deal.

Khari Thompson of the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported no such agreement was in place between Hunter and Barstool, and Sanders also denied the claim at the time.

"We didn't pay," Sanders said on ESPN's Keyshawn, JWill and Max (via TMZ Sports). "We ain't got no money! We ain't got no money! A million and a half? I heard a million and a half. And I heard Dave Portnoy over at Barstool—that's the biggest lie I've ever heard."

Hunter was the top-ranked prospect in the 2022 recruiting class based on 247Sports' composite rankings.

The defensive back, who was also a standout wide receiver at Collins Hill High School in Georgia, committed to Florida State in March 2020. He flipped his commitment to Jackson State in December and joined the program for spring ball ahead of the 2022 season.

At the Tigers' spring game in April, Hunter explained his choice of Sanders' program.

"They were just straight with me," he said. "They didn't play no games, they came right at me."

Jackson State has enjoyed a resurgence under Sanders, a former two-sport star in the NFL and MLB. He's guided the program to a 15-5 record across his first two seasons and has attracted high-end recruits like Hunter who've typically chosen Power Five schools.