Colorado Buffaloes Football

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders turned heads during the school's pro day on Friday by getting into a verbal altercation with an NFL draft scout, but his son provided more context to the situation.

Michael Gallagher of Athlon Sports noted Saturday that video of the altercation emerged on TikTok on Friday from the "apparent miscommunication about where to line up to start a drill" after Sanders was upset with something the scout said to one of the Buffaloes players.

"He was talking about u can't use the white line but u can … u can take up all the white line as u want," Deion Sanders Jr. commented in a reply to the TikTok video.

Gallagher noted the head coach said, "Y'all start how y'all want to start. [Expletive] this man here. Do y'all thing. Do what you all do."

That it was Deion Sanders Jr. who provided clarification to the entire ordeal on social media comes as no surprise, as he creates and presents social media content for the Buffaloes football team. His videos and content have provided fans with a behind-the-scenes look at the Colorado program during his father's two-plus seasons as the head coach.

Colorado's pro day was one of the most anticipated ones in the country leading up to this month's NFL draft.

After all, one of Sanders' other sons, Shedeur Sanders, is expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken, while Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter also figures to be among the first players to hear their name called on draft day.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected Hunter to go No. 3 overall to the New York Giants and Sanders to go No. 9 overall to the New Orleans Saints in its most recent mock draft. Only Miami's Cam Ward was higher from the quarterback position, and he was projected to go No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans.

Hunter and Sanders worked together during the pro day, as the playmaker ran routes for the quarterback and impressed with some of his moves in the open field.

As for Sanders, he showed off his arm with the deep ball:

The two draft prospects are a major reason the Buffaloes improved from 4-8 in 2023 to 9-4 in 2024, but it will be up to Deion Sanders to continue turning things around for the program even after his star quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner are gone to the NFL.

If NFL teams hope to hire Deion Sanders away from college in the near-future, they will have to pull him away from a lucrative new contract at Colorado.

Per Brian Howell of Buffzone, the Colorado board of regents approved a new five-year, $54 million contract for Sanders that will pay him at least $10 million in every season through 2029.

In the school's official release announcing the extension, Sanders said he's looking forward to "continue building something special" with the Buffaloes:

"We've just scratched the surface of what this program can be. It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world. I'm committed to bringing greatness to this university, on and off the field. We've got work to do, and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but here, making history with these incredible players and this passionate fan base. Lastly, anybody got at least a five-bedroom home with acreage for sale?"'

Per NFL Network's Matthew Bubar, Sanders' buyout starts at $12 million in 2025 before dropping all the way down to $3 million by the final season of the contract.

Sanders had a brief flirtation with the NFL in January when he discussed the Dallas Cowboys' head coaching vacancy with Jerry Jones.

In a statement to ESPN's Adam Schefter after talking to the Cowboys, Sanders downplayed any notion that he wanted to leave Colorado.

The Cowboys wound up hiring Brian Schottenheimer, who was their offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, as their head coach.

In a series of emails that involved Colorado president Todd Saliman, athletic director Rick George and the school's board of regents that were obtained by The Athletic's Christopher Kamrani, George wrote that keeping Sanders was "a big priority and pursuing excellence is important in all that we do."

Asked about his contract status during a March 17 press conference, Sanders said he wasn't worried abut himself right now.

"I don’t know," Sanders said. "Let’s get everybody else straight first. Then I’m good."

Colorado gave Sanders a five-year, $29.5 million contract when he was originally hired in December 2022. His new contract roughly doubles his average annual salary.

The $10.8 million average annual salary for Sanders is tied with Texas' Steve Sarkisian for fifth-most among all FBS head coaches. Georgia's Kirby Smart tops the list of highest-paid coaches with a $13.2 million average salary.

Sanders is 13-12 in his first two seasons at Colorado. The program's nine wins in 2024 were their most in a single season since 2016 (10-4).

The Buffaloes haven't had back-to-back winning seasons since 2004 and 2005.

Days after Syracuse head coach Fran Brown answered Deion Sanders' call to find a team Colorado could hold a joint practice and scrimmage against in the spring, the two schools are in the process of trying to make it happen.

Per The Athletic's Jenna West, Colorado and Syracuse filed paperwork with the NCAA to hold a joint practice next month.

Sanders floated the idea of college football using an NFL-like model that allows teams to practice and scrimmage against each other during the offseason during a press conference on Monday:

"I would actually like to play the spring game against another team, in the spring. That's what I'm trying to do right now. I would like to style it like the pros. I'd like to go against someone [in practice] for a few days, and then you have the spring game. I think the public would be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it's a tremendous idea. I've told those personnel, who should understand that, that it's a tremendous idea."

Upon seeing Sanders' comments, Brown posted on X that Syracuse would be willing to come to Colorado for three days this spring.

West noted a ruling on the request from Colorado and Syracuse could come at the NCAA FBS oversight committee's next scheduled meeting on April 10.

Colorado's spring game is scheduled to be played at Folsom Field on Saturday, April 19.

Sanders' comments about a joint practice as part of the offseason schedule came at a time when several college programs are opting out of holding a traditional spring game or canceling it altogether.

There are at least 20 FBS programs so far that have announced they will hold either a modified spring game or won't hold one at all.

Reasons for opting out vary by program, with some citing injury risk to players and financial costs.

Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said he didn't want to do it anymore because of "tampering" concerns from opposing programs after the team had six players enter the transfer portal following last year's spring game.

FBS teams are allowed to hold up to 15 spring practices in a 34-day period.

Former NFL All-Pro Asante Samuel has some thoughts about Deion Sanders' teaching technique for the position they both used to play.

In response to an NFL Network clip in which Sanders referred to the T-step move as "stupid," Samuel called his comment "foolishness" because it's "the best technique to get to the football" for a cornerback.

Sanders replied back by praising former Florida State defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews for teaching him his technique, prompting Samuel to give kudos to his college defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.

Even though Coach Prime seemed to be satisfied at that point with his response, Samuel kept going with a series of clips and replies to fan comments questioning his stance.

The T-step maneuver allows the cornerback to turn their back leg, plant the foot into the ground and drive their body at full speed to keep pace with the receiver when they come out of their break.

By comparison, the bicycle step only requires the cornerback to plant their toe into the ground without the heel touching and push off. There's a thought that the bicycle step is more risky because it doesn't allow the defender as much stability.

What the defender is sacrificing in stability with the bicycle step, they are in theory making up for because it's quicker since it requires less movement than the T-step.

There's no right or wrong answer here. It's just what works best for the individual player. Samuel was great at doing what he did. It gave him an 11-year career in the NFL and more than one pass breakup per game (164 in 133 games).

Sanders was as good at shutting down opposing receivers as any cornerback during his playing days. He recorded 53 interceptions and returned nine for touchdowns in 188 games over 14 seasons.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich is joining Colorado's coaching staff, according to Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz.

Buffs head coach Deion Sanders introduced Leftwich to the team Wednesday:

The retired quarterback brings yet more pro experience to Boulder, Colorado. The Buffs hired Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk in February to coach that position. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Warren Sapp is a senior quality control analyst for the defense as well.

Leftwich spent nine seasons in the NFL as a player and started his coaching career with the Arizona Cardinals in 2016. He was promoted to quarterbacks coach a year later and took over as the interim offensive coordinator in 2018 following the dismissal of Mike McCoy.

The Bucs hired Leftwich as their OC in 2019 and he helped to produce top-10 offenses in 2020 and 2021. Jameis Winston (2019) and Tom Brady (2021) each threw for more than 5,000 passing yards under his guidance.

An 8-9 finish in 2022 and 31-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card Round brought big changes to the coaching staff in Tampa Bay, though. Leftwich was among the assistants shown the door.

Leftwich's official role with Colorado is unclear since Pat Shurmur held the titles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2024.

Developing freshman quarterback Julian Lewis is likely to be one of his duties. Lewis was a 4-star recruit and the No. 6 QB in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2024 class. He and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter will be vying to replace likely first-round pick Shedeur Sanders under center.

Even assuming the more experienced Salter wins the job, Lewis figures to be a key piece toward Sanders achieving his long-term goals.

Deion Sanders doesn't want to wait until the fall for his Colorado Buffaloes to face another opponent.

"To have a competitive (game) against your own guys kind of gets monotonous," the Colorado head coach told reporters when advocating for changes to the spring game (3:50 mark). "You really can't tell the level of your guys because, you know, it's the same old, same old. Everybody kind of knows each other. 

"Towards the end, I would like to style it like the pros. I would like to practice against someone for a few days, then you have the spring game. And I think the public will be satisfied with that tremendously. I think it's a tremendous idea. I've told those personnel who should understand that it's a tremendous idea."

It seems like he may already have a taker given the response from Syracuse head coach Fran Brown:

Sanders' idea comes at a time when the traditional spring game seems to be fading away.

Nick Kosko of On3 noted that since Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule announced he was canceling his team's annual intra-squad scrimmage, Texas, USC, Florida State, Missouri, North Carolina State and others have done the same.

Meanwhile, programs such as Ohio State, Alabama, Arizona, Oklahoma and Ole Miss are planning alternate events that will still take place in front of fans.

The reigning-champion Buckeyes are calling their event a Spring Showcase that will be ticketed for fans even though it won't be a traditional scrimmage.

With that as the backdrop, Sanders said, "We got to sell this thing out and pack this thing because the way the trend is going, you never know if this is going to be the last spring game. I don't believe in that. I don't really want to condone that. I would like to play in the spring."

That the Colorado coach would be more interested in modeling the highlight of spring practice like an NFL team doesn't come as much of a surprise seeing how he is a Hall of Famer who played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Commanders and Baltimore Ravens.

NFL teams frequently participate in joint practices during training camp with another opponent leading up to a preseason matchup. While that sometimes leads to skirmishes and training-camp fights, it also gives the players a measuring-stick opportunity to see how they stack up against another team.

The Buffaloes could use some of those opportunities before the games start to count in the standings, as they will be replacing star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter during the 2025 campaign.

Key information regarding Colorado's 2025 spring game was released on Monday.

The Buffaloes' Black & Gold Spring Game will occur on April 19 at 4:30 p.m. ET, via Sports Illustrated's Bryan Fischer. The contest will also be available to watch on ESPN2.

Colorado is looking to continue improving in its third year under head coach Deion Sanders despite the offseason losses of notable contributors including starting quarterback Shedeur Sanders and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Colorado's spring game has drawn plenty of attention throughout the elder Sanders' tenure. Coach Prime's first spring game in 2023 contained an attendance of 47,277, the highest in school history.

28,424 fans also showed up to watch the Buffaloes' 2024 Black & Gold contest.

Spring football for Colorado in 2025 started on March 11 and will continue through March 24. Players will then be off for their break before returning to the field on April 1.

After wrapping up a 4-8 finish in 2023, the Buffaloes took a large step forward during their 2024 campaign and ended the year at 9-4. It marked their first season with at least nine wins since 2016.

Colorado's 2025 recruiting class was ranked No. 37 in the country by 247Sports. The Buffaloes' 2025 transfer class also received the No. 26 ranking.

The upcoming spring game should give fans a closer look at the quarterback competition brewing in Boulder. Julian Lewis is entering his first year at the school, as he was listed as the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class (via 247Sports' composite rankings).

The Buffaloes also landed Kaidon Salter in the transfer portal. Salter thrived at Liberty over the past two years, throwing for 4,762 yards and 47 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions in 25 combined games since the start of the 2023 season.

As Colorado prepares for its 2025 campaign, the date and time of the school's spring game is officially set.

Colorado quarterback and likely 2025 first-round pick Shedeur Sanders rolled up to the NFL Celebrity Game on Saturday, linking up with former NFL quarterback Mike Vick, WNBA star Angel Reese and social media personalities like Kai Cenat and Druski, among others.

Sanders is expected to be one of the top two quarterbacks off the board at April's draft, though it remains to be seen whether he'll be QB1 or if that distinction will belong to Miami's Cam Ward.

Either way, Sanders is coming off a strong 2024 season that saw him throw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, completing 74 percent of his passes while taking 42 sacks. Colorado went 9-4 overall on the season, losing to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

He was an honorary member of Kai Cenat's team on Saturday, though the hope for Sanders will be that one day he's suiting up for the Pro Bowl.

Deion Sanders believes that his son Shedeur should be the most sought-after quarterback at the 2025 NFL Draft.

During an appearance on First Take, the Colorado Buffaloes coach expressed his belief that Shedeur is the "most qualified" quarterback in the draft due to his significant experience and his experience:

"Shedeur has started every game in high school. every game in college except one and he's prepared for this next level on this journey that he's about to go on, and I think he's the most equipped. He's had, Cam, you know, the seven different offensive coordinators. And you know, a line that was always criticized and scrutinized, but he still stood and delivered. I think he's the best one for the job for any city and he the most equipped. Oftentimes we have these quarterbacks that been on these elite teams, now they get in a situation where it's not as conducive to their success, and they choke. He's always been up under criticism, he's always been scrutinized, he's never had the best of, but he's made the best of. So I think he's the most qualified, by far."

Sanders is rated as the No. 2 quarterback and No. 16 overall prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft by Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department. He was a two-year starter at FCS Jackson State before transferring to Colorado after his father was hired by the Buffaloes.

During his time with Colorado, Sanders threw for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He helped lead the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in 2024 and was named the Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year for his efforts.

Cam Ward is rated as B/R's top quarterback in the draft and had a sensational 2024 season as well, throwing for 4,313 yards with 39 touchdowns and seven interceptions while finishing as a Heisman finalist.

As teams evaluate Ward and Sanders on their viability to be franchise signal-callers, Deion Sanders' belief is that Shedeur will be ready to help his team improve as soon as he puts on the jersey.

Colorado is adding a legendary former running back to its coaching staff.

Marshall Faulk, a three-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner, is joining Deion Sanders' Colorado staff as a running backs coach, the team announced on Thursday. The hire marks Faulk's first collegiate coaching job.

Faulk, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011, is now the third Hall of Famer on Colorado's staff, joining Sanders and Warren Sapp, who joined the Buffs staff as a senior quality control assistant ahead of the 2024 season.

Though Faulk doesn't have prior experience as a coach, his resume speaks for itself. He racked up 12,279 rushing yards and 100 rushing yards during his NFL career, adding 6,875 receiving yards and 36 touchdowns through the air.

Faulk, the 2000 MVP, knows a thing or two about winning too, as he helped lead the St. Louis Rams to a win in Super Bowl XXXIV.

The Buffaloes will have a challenge in 2025 as they look to replace the production of star quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman-winning two-way star Travis Hunter. Bringing in a legendary player like Faulk could help Colorado get its running game going after relying mostly on the passing game over the past two years.

Sanders inherited a Colorado team that went 1-11 in the season before his arrival. The Buffaloes had some growing pains in Year 1, going 4-8 in 2023 before taking a major leap in 2024, finishing the season 9-4.

Colorado was an upset loss to Kansas away from reaching the Big 12 title game, which could have helped the Buffs punch a ticket to the College Football Playoff. With Faulk joining the staff, Colorado will look to make another leap in Year 3 of the Sanders era and potentially compete for a championship.