Colorado Buffaloes Football

Colorado's final placement in the CFP rankings was revealed on Sunday.

Head coach Deion Sanders' team finished with the No. 23 spot.

It wasn't a surprise that the Buffaloes weren't included as one of the final 12 teams to make the CFP, as they weren't able to secure a spot in the Big 12 Championship game and recorded three losses to go along with their nine wins.

Colorado suffered an ugly 28-10 loss to Nebraska in its second game of the season, which didn't provide a lot of optimism surrounding a possible CFP berth. The Buffaloes went on to win seven of their next eight games to put them in the race for a Big 12 Championship game appearance, though.

Sitting at 8-2 with two contests remaining, Colorado was riding high entering a Nov. 23 matchup against a Kansas team that owned a 4-6 record at the time.

The Buffaloes ended up losing to the Jayhawks by the final score of 37-21, and a lopsided 52-0 win over Oklahoma State in the ensuing week wasn't enough to give Sanders' team an opportunity to compete for a Big 12 title.

"We controlled our own destiny, and we fumbled it," Sanders told reporters after the defeat.

The Big 12's guaranteed playoff spot ended up going to Arizona State, as the Sun Devils earned a first-round bye after taking down Iowa State by the score of 45-19 in Saturday's conference championship clash.

Despite failing to achieve a playoff spot, Sanders' second season with the Buffaloes was undoubtedly a success. His team improved after a 4-8 record in 2023, which already represented a step up compared to a 1-11 mark in the year before he took over the program.

In fact, Colorado has nine wins in 2024 after earning nine total wins in the past three years combined.

Now, Sanders and the Buffaloes will attempt to record the school's first bowl game victory since 2004.

Deion Sanders has done a fantastic job at Colorado, turning a program that went 1-11 in the year prior to his arrival (2022) into a 9-3 program that currently sits 20th in the Associated Press poll.

Naturally, that two-year turnaround could (and may have already) grab the attention of bigger programs looking to make a coaching change.

As far as the potential of Sanders bolting Colorado for another school, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Adam Rittenberg wrote the following, noting that the Pro Football Hall of Famer would "only target programs that will allow him to be his full self."

"If LSU or Florida make changes next season, Sanders certainly could be a candidate. The same goes for Auburn if it moves on from Hugh Freeze. Sanders will only target programs that allow him to be his full self, sources said, which means extra elements and people around the program that aren't present at most places.

'There aren't a lot of Deion Sanders growing on trees,' an industry source said. 'The package of who he is, is rare. So it's very much the place.

'You've got to give credit to CU and their leadership and the administration for going out and saying, 'Let's go all-in.'"

Sanders once starred at Florida State, which dropped from 13-1 in 2023 to 2-10 in 2024. That program is in turmoil, and head coach Mike Norvell just fired both coordinators. The team's swoon begs the question regarding Norvell's future, but it doesn't appear the hypothetical door would be open for Sanders (or anyone) imminently.

"A Sanders-FSU reunion wouldn't happen until 2026, at the earliest, and even that seems unlikely," Fowler and Rittenberg wrote.

Ultimately, programs looking to make a turnaround could look toward Sanders.

"It's going to be hard for Colorado to hang onto him," a college coaching agent told Rittenberg. "Everyone has taken notice, and rightfully so, of what he's doing."

For now, Sanders remains at Colorado, which has a to-be-determined bowl game. It's unclear where the Buffaloes are headed, but the latest projection from David Kenyon of Bleacher Report has the team going to the Alamo Bowl against BYU.

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.

Travis Hunter has been fantastic for Colorado as a dual-threat receiver and cornerback, but as ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. noted Thursday, there is debate within NFL circles whether he should operate primarily on the offensive or defensive side of the ball at the next level.

"This is people in the league. Every time I get a call. 'OK, Travis Hunter, where do you think he should be a priority, in terms of position, focus on the defensive secondary or the receiving entity? Where is he?' They're all over the place. It's 50-50. A split," he said on First Draft (5:45 mark). "Every time I get a different answer. So nobody's in agreement as to what his primary position will be, and what it should be. So when you get Hunter and you get this great receiver and great corner, how do you balance that out? How do you sprinkle him in? What position is he best suited for to maximize that talent? We're gonna be debating that even once he's in the league."

Hunter makes the case to be a top-five pick at either position.

On the offensive side of the ball, he's caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns this season alongside one rushing score. Defensively, he's notched 31 tackles, four interceptions, 11 passes defensed and a forced fumble despite quarterbacks often ignoring his side of the field.

He's the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy for a reason, but it would be unheard of for him to focus full-time on both sides of the ball at the next level. That level of responsibility, workload and physical strain on the body over a 17-game season is too intense an ask, so he'll have to specialize more on one side of the ball than other.

The safest bet is probably remaining at cornerback and having a package of plays designed for him at receiver, similar to how Deion Sanders was utilized. But the team that drafts him will have an interesting decision on its hands.

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.

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.

The Heisman Trophy favorites, at this point, are overwhelmingly Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, while Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel are considered long shots.

All make sense as potential finalists, but Hunter can't understand why Shedeur Sanders—widely believed to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft, if not the top option—isn't getting more love as a potential Heisman winner.

"How can you be the top quarterback pick in the NFL draft, and you're not even considered to be in the Heisman race?" Hunter questioned during Wednesday's episode of The Travis Hunter Show (13:20 mark). "How does that even work?"

Let's make the case.

Hunter is fantastic on both sides of the ball as a cornerback and receiver, evoking memories of former winner Charles Woodson. What he's done in 2024 is unique, and the sort of story that makes him an easy favorite for the award.

Jeanty has been ridiculous, with an absurd 2,288 rushing yards and 29 overall touchdowns, video game numbers that will always catch the eyes of voters.

As for the quarterbacks, Gabriel gets a bump for leading the top overall team in the nation, and the three players in question have offered a similar overall impact:

• Sanders: 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 74.2 completion percentage, four rushing touchdowns, 9-3 record for Colorado.
• Ward: 4,123 yards, 36 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 67.4 completion percentage, 196 rushing yards, four rushing scores, 10-2 record for Miami. 
• Gabriel: 3,275 yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions, 73.5 completion percentage, 175 rushing yards, seven rushing scores, 12-0 record for Oregon.

It's possible that Sanders is getting less love simply because his teammate, Hunter, is already considered the favorite for the award. Or perhaps it's that Ward and Gabriel have led their teams to better records and Gabriel, in particular, has Oregon undefeated in arguably the toughest conference in the sport.

Either way, Hunter doesn't like it. Maybe if he wins the Heisman he'll share it with Sanders.

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.

Colorado two-way star athlete Travis Hunter joked that he'll only play the Buffaloes' bowl game for $5 million before clarifying that he is in fact participating in his team's final matchup of the season.

Hunter made the remarks on the most recent edition of his podcast (15:11 mark).

On Nov. 29, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said that the Buffaloes players will be participating in the team's bowl game.

Sanders didn't mention players by name during that statement, particularly Hunter and one of his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who could potentially be one-two in the upcoming NFL draft.

But Hunter's podcast remarks made it even clearer that he'll be sticking around Boulder as Colorado gets ready for a bowl game.

It's unclear at this time where Colorado will go, but the latest projection from David Kenyon of Bleacher Report has the Buffaloes going to the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 against BYU. CBS Sports' Jerry Palm also has that same prediction.

So fans will have one more chance to see Hunter, a near-lock to win the Heisman Trophy, play in college before heading to the pros.

For the season, Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns for the 9-3 Buffaloes, currently 20th in the Associated Press poll. He also amassed 31 tackles, four interceptions and a forced fumble.