Colorado Buffaloes Football

Amid the ongoing fallout from Shedeur Sanders' slide to the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft, Deion Sanders is keeping an optimistic outlook.

In a post on X, Coach Prime wrote "I can do better" and he's "thankful for another opportunity" to do his job.

It's hard to know exactly what to read into this, both because it's vague and Sanders makes a post like this on social media every morning.

For example, here are two posts from before the draft even started that could also be interpreted about Shedeur's fall if they had come out after the event had started.

If we are to interpret this new message as Sanders talking about Shedeur's unprecedented draft fall relative to where most analysts expected him to be taken, it could be related to some of the reporting that came out afterward.

On Tuesday's episode of the Scoop City podcast (starts at 8:50 mark), former NFL quarterback Chase Daniel explained that Deion's comments from 2024 about having Shedeur pull "an Eli" by refusing to play for certain teams if they were to draft him impacted his standing with NFL clubs.

Even though Deion later walked those remarks back by saying he would be happy with any team that drafted his son, there were other factors at play.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Sanders camp botched the pre-draft process with some teams feeling like Shedeur "made them feel small."

The Athletic's Mike Jones reported he "had an off-putting air that NFL talent evaluators perceived as arrogance and entitlement."

NFL draft guru Todd McShay wrote in his newsletter hours before the first round of the draft started on April 24 that the New York Giants weren't high on Sanders because his interview with head coach Brian Daboll didn't go well.

"The friction centered on some frustration between the two regarding Sanders’s preparation of an install package," McShay wrote.

There were a million things that played into Shedeur going from a perceived first-round talent to a fifth-round pick by the Cleveland Browns.

At the end of it all, Shedeur got to hear his name called as a pick in the 2025 NFL draft. He landed in a good spot with an organization that is looking for a long-term starting option at quarterback and has a good offensive-minded head coach in Kevin Stefanski to maximize his talents.

Deion will certainly be paying close attention to everything that happens with his son, supporting him the whole way.

If you want to purchase the former residence of an NFL legend and current college football coach, it will cost you a pretty penny.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders' 29,220 square foot home in Texas is up for sale for $5.5 million.

According to the Zillow listing, the house features nine bedrooms and 11 bathrooms and a plethora of other amenities. It has a private dock, indoor and outdoor pools, an indoor basketball court and a home theater. It also comes with a 14-bay garage that has the space to hold a yacht or an RV.

The house is located in Prosper, Texas, just outside of Dallas.

While taking care of the sale of his house will be on the back of his mind, Sanders has other things to worry about as he gears up for Year 3 in Colorado. The Buffaloes are coming off a season in which they improved tremendously and finished 9-4.

But things might not be as easy in 2025 since Colorado has to replace a lot of talent, including stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, who are now off to the professional ranks.

The Buffaloes will begin their season in late August against Georgia Tech, and Sanders will hope to have sold his house by then.

Colorado football head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders wrote a motivational post geared toward eschewing the opinions of others, following faith and creating opportunities.

Sanders frequently posts motivational messages on social media. The timing of this one occurred three days after his son, ex-Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, fell to the fifth round of the NFL draft to after largely being considered a first-round prospect. He eventually went No. 144 overall to the Cleveland Browns.

It was a stunning drop for Sanders, but that obviously won't stop him from getting an opportunity now with the Browns. Cleveland doesn't have a long-term answer right now at quarterback, and Sanders could very well assume that mantle by earning it.

The QB room currently consists of Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Deshaun Watson, rookie Dillon Gabriel and Sanders. There's no clear answer as far as QB1 in 2025, though one can presume that Flacco could be the signal-caller to start. Two years ago, Flacco was signed as a midseason free agent and led the Browns to the playoffs. His efforts were so impressive that he won Comeback Player of the Year honors.

The 40-year-old Flacco, an 18-year veteran, could have something left in the tank. But the Browns still need to figure out where to go after 2025. Maybe the answer is in next year's draft, or perhaps its in the QB room now.

Regardless, Sanders has his shot, regardless of what happened during the draft.

Under head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Colorado has engineered a tremendous turnaround in two years.

Before Sanders' arrival, the Buffaloes were 1-11 in 2022. They improved to 9-4 in 2024, finishing the year ranked 25th in the Associated Press poll.

Two players stood at the forefront of the program's comeback in quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way superstar Travis Hunter.

Both players arrived with Coach Sanders from Jackson State in 2023, and they were tremendous in Boulder.

Sanders threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns while completing 74.0 percent of his passes. Meanwhile, the Heisman Trophy-winning Hunter dominated on both sides of the ball. On offense, Hunter caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, Hunter amassed 35 tackles, 11 pass breakups and four interceptions.

Colorado had other players fare well last year, of course, with a quartet of draft prospects in the mix.

A trio of wide receivers—Jimmy Horn Jr., Will Sheppard and LaJohntay Wester—are in the mix. They all helped contribute to a team that averaged 32.9 points per game (31st in Division I FBS).

On defense, the team's star was edge-rusher BJ Green II, who led the team with seven-and-a-half sacks. He was a prized transfer prospect from Arizona State and fulfilled his promise in Boulder en route to the NFL.

Those six players left a great legacy in Boulder, but now, they've moved onto the pros.

And with that, here's a look at their NFL landing spots.

Colorado Draft Prospect List

CB Travis Hunter: Round 1, Pick 2 (No. 2 Overall): Jacksonville Jaguars (After Trade With Cleveland Browns)

QB Shedeur Sanders: Round 5, Pick 6 (No. 144 Overall): Cleveland Browns (After Trade With Seattle Seahawks)

WR Jimmy Horn Jr.: Round 6, Pick 32 (No. 208 Overall): Carolina Panthers (After Trade With Denver Broncos)

WR Will Sheppard: UDFA

WR LaJohntay Wester: Round 6, Pick 27 (No. 203 Overall): Baltimore Ravens

EDGE BJ Green II: UDFA

One player from Colorado's championship-winning team in 1990 was less than thrilled to see the Buffaloes retire Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders' jerseys.

"We're celebrating mediocrity," the player said to David Ubben of The Athletic. "Where are the wins? Where are the top-10 finishes? Go Buffs for life, but you have to just hold your nose and deal with it."

The anonymous player also vented about how criticism of the school's decision is being filtered.

"If you b---h and complain, you look jealous and envious, and you're just a hater," he said to Ubben.

In the case of Hunter, it shouldn't matter all that much he's only a few months removed from leaving Boulder. He won a Heisman Trophy, and his ability to excel on both sides of the ball only added to his legend.

Colorado's 13-12 record shouldn't be held against Hunter, either, when he was unquestionably one of the greatest players in program history.

Ultimately, what's the difference between doing it now and waiting?

The university didn't retire Rashaan Salaam's No. 19 jersey until after the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner died.

Hunter was a shoo-in to have his number retired, whether it was sooner or later, after taking home Heisman honors last season.

It's a different story for Sanders, who didn't build a résumé that stands out within a historical context.

Sanders threw for 7,364 yards and 64 touchdowns, and he's the all-time FBS leader in completion percentage (71.8) going back to at least 1956. As a senior, he was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the recipient of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.

Sanders didn't make an All-American team, though. He wasn't a Heisman finalist, finishing eighth in the 2024 voting. He didn't stay at Colorado long enough to break Sefo Liufau's career passing record (9,763 yards). And the Buffaloes didn't have the kind of team success that could make up for his lack of individual accolades.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders argued "we wouldn't have this discussion" about Shedeur's jersey retirement if he had a different last name. His critics will agree with that, but from the opposite perspective.

Fair or not, a lot of people are going to perceive Shedeur is being immortalized because he's the son of the coach.

"With Shedeur, it's way too easy to say, 'Would this happen if he had a different name on his back?'" said Fox Sports' Joel Klatt, who also played at Colorado, in an interview with Ubben. "And that becomes a disservice to Shedeur."

If Sanders goes on to have a great NFL career and the Coach Prime era is even more fruitful for the Buffs, then retiring Shedeur's jersey further down the line might've been received differently.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders maintained that there was no time like the present to honor former Buffaloes stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.

The school officially retired Hunter and Sanders' jerseys during Saturday's spring game.

Deion Sanders once again addressed the criticism with celebrating Hunter and Shedeur so soon after they left Boulder.

"The time frame, nobody's going to be happy with. Somebody's always going have something to say," he said. "But the way we are right now, we are a now generation. ... those guys deserve what they deserve right now. So I'm proud of them."

In the case of Hunter, a jersey retirement was inevitable the moment he lifted the Heisman Trophy. He only needed two years to cement himself as one of the greatest players in program history.

Colorado waited more than two decades to retire Rashaan Salaam's No. 19 jersey, and the 1994 Heisman winner was only honored posthumously. There was no need to repeat a similar error with Hunter.

The larger contention from fans was with the decision to immortalize Shedeur's No. 2 jersey as well.

As a senior, Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner, but few would contend he had a legendary college career.

Colorado went 13-12 over the last two seasons, losing its only bowl game of the Coach Prime era so far. Sanders' individual production (7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions) was also very good but far from historic.

Deion pushed back against the criticism by saying "we wouldn't have this discussion" if Shedeur didn't have the Sanders name. The detractors are making the exact same point, albeit in service of a much different argument.

Ultimately, retiring Shedeur's number is a big bet by Colorado that Deion sticks around for a while and doesn't leave in a bitter divorce. Should he depart on bad terms, having a permanent reminder at Folsom Field of the Coach Prime may not be a great thing.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders sent a message to players in the transfer portal at the Buffaloes' spring game on Saturday.

"Anybody in the portal, you know I ain't hard to find," he said in an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe.

Under Sanders, Colorado has used the portal to add several impact players. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter followed the head coach to Boulder as transfers and played key roles as part of the Buffaloes' 9-4 finish in 2024.

With both players expected to hear their names called early in the 2025 NFL draft, Sanders is focused on using the portal to fill out the team's roster once again.

He previously explained that he wants to target players at almost every position.

"I want to target every area," Sanders said Thursday, via SI.com's Charlie Viehl. "You don't just sit back and think you got it, you know? I mean, I think the kicking game is set...long snappers as well as kickers and punters, we straight. Everything else is, we need to improve."

Colorado's 2025 transfer class ranks No. 22 in the country, per 247Sports.

The Buffaloes have remained active in the portal, as Illinois transfer cornerback Teon Parks reportedly committed to Sanders' squad on Saturday.

Colorado is also set to host former Florida State wide receiver Hykeem Williams "next week," according to 247Sports' Zach Blostein.

As the Buffaloes look to contend in the Big 12 again in 2025, Sanders made his pitch to players in the portal on Saturday.

Shedeur Sanders reflected on his number getting retired by Colorado along with former Buffaloes teammate Travis Hunter.

"It means a lot to me, honestly," Sanders told ESPN's Holly Rowe on the broadcast of Colorado's 2025 spring game. "I remember just being in the end zone after a bowl game in Jackson State and we was like, 'We gotta run it back. We gotta do it again together, forever.' That was the mindset, that was the mentality. And the fact that we're both able to share this special moment together, it's truly amazing."

On Monday, the school officially announced that Sanders' No. 2 and Hunter's No. 12 will be retired at the spring game.

Hunter was also appreciative of Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.

"It paid off real, real well for me as y'all see from the video and all the accolades that I've got," Hunter said. "But I came in, and I trusted him with everything that I've got. I came in with Shedeur, and for us to get this right here, it means a lot to both of us."

The numbers of the quarterback and two-way standout were unveiled within Folsom Field as part of a ceremony prior to Colorado's spring game.

The elder Sanders coached Shedeur and Hunter at Jackson State University before taking over as Colorado's head coach ahead of the 2023 season, with both players transferring to join him.

The Buffaloes' 4-8 record in 2023 represented an improvement over their 1-11 finish in the year before Deion accepted the job, but they ended the year on a six-game losing streak.

Colorado took a large step forward in 2024, ending the year with a 9-4 record and making a bowl appearance. It also marked the team's second season with nine wins since 2002.

Shedeur thrived at quarterback during his 2024 campaign, setting a new single-season passing record for the school with 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns through the air. He also completed 74 percent of his passes while getting picked off 10 times.

Hunter was stellar at both wide receiver and cornerback, hauling in 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also recorded 11 passes defensed and four interceptions, becoming Colorado's first Heisman Trophy winner since 1994.

Both players are expected to hear their names called early in the 2025 NFL draft. Hunter and Sanders were projected to be off the board with the No. 2 and No. 6 overall picks in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, respectively.

As they prepare for the draft, their careers at Colorado were honored on Saturday.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders called for an NIL cap in college football, akin to the NFL's salary cap, in an interview with Jarrett Bell of USA Today that covered numerous topics.

“There should be some kind of cap,” Sanders said. “Our game should emulate the NFL game in every aspect. Rules. Regulations. Whatever the NFL rules, the college rules should be the same. There should be a cap and every team gets this, and you should be able to spend that.”

Bell added more insight from Sanders: "Such a salary cap, Sanders envisions, would adjust with different conferences and levels of competition, based on revenues."

There's certainly a wide gap between teams regarding NIL money in Division I FBS and even within the Power Four conferences. A study from NIL-NCAA.com shows the NIL money from the 56 public schools in power conferences. Texas is at the top in NIL collective funding with $22.2 million, while Houston is last at $2.1 million.

Sanders notably made the news recently for his efforts to try to organize a spring football scrimmage with another school (Syracuse took him up on the offer). However, the NCAA shot the idea down (for this year, anyway), citing a "competitive advantage."

Sanders doesn't buy that notion, though, and he pointed to the money as the real reason for teams' edges.

“The competitive advantage is the school that has hundreds of millions of dollars, and not us,” he told Bell. “You look at who’s always in the playoffs, you can look at their budget and look at this budget. That’s the advantage, not who has the autonomy to do a spring game.”

Ultimately, when Sanders talks, people listen, and what he says here perhaps rings true. There was already a wide gap between institutions in the pre-NIL era given how much richer schools could pour into their coaching staffs, facilities, recruiting efforts, etc.

But now that chasm is even deeper in the NIL era, and it perhaps signals a time where the true underdog story will find it near-impossible to come to light. Obviously, this is a situation to monitor moving forward, but Sanders truly feels something needs to be done.

“There’s a lot going on in college football, and the NCAA has just washed their hands and they walk away,” Sanders said to Bell. “As long as they collect those checks, they walk away instead of saying, 'OK, we’ve got to do something about this.' Because if you don’t, it’s going to keep spiraling.”

Deion Sanders had a message for another college football program this week.

The Colorado head coach called out Virginia for tampering, saying the team "offered a bag" to Buffaloes defensive back Carter Stoutmire.

“Carter got offered a bag. … What’s the school that offered you the bag? Virginia. … Virginia, you got to stop,” Sanders said (15:30 mark). “I’ll let you have one. I ain’t say nothing about it. Come on, now. Come on. We let you have one. I ain’t say nothing about it.”

Stoutmire, who joined the Buffaloes as part of Sanders' first recruiting class in Boulder, logged 42 tackles, seven passes defended and a forced fumble last year, appearing in all 13 games for Colorado.

After a solid sophomore season, Stoutmire was bound to get some interest from other teams this offseason if he had entered the transfer portal, but it seems Virginia might have tried to get in contact with him even if he never wavered in his commitment to Colorado.

Ultimately, Virginia's apparent attempt to lure Stoutmire into the portal didn't work as he's still a Buffalo heading into the thick of spring practice. Of course, the spring portal is still open for a few more days, but it seems like Stoutmire is staying put this offseason.

Colorado is coming off an impressive turnaround season that saw it finish 9-4, falling just shy of reaching the Big 12 championship game. The Buffs have a lot of talent to replace this offseason, namely two-way star Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders, both of whom are projected top-10 picks in the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report's Scouting Department.

The Buffs haven't been nearly as active in the portal this season as they were a year ago, but they still managed to land a talented quarterback in Liberty's Kaidon Salter and a handful of other pieces.