On December 3rd, 2022, the University of Colorado announced that Deion Sanders would be the 28th full-time head coach for the Buffaloes. This created a tremendous buzz not only in Boulder, CO, but also around the entire sports world. After all, for a team who hasn’t had a winning season (aside from the shortened 2020 season) since 2016, this was a massive hire for a program seeking success.
Not only does Coach Sanders come into Colorado with a few years of coaching experience at Jackson State, but also with a very decorated NFL career. He is highly regarded as the best NFL cornerback of all time. The two-time Super Bowl winner has an incredible football mind. All of these accolades made it an easy decision for the Colorado AD to offer him $29.5 million over five years (excluding potential bonuses).
Ultimately, Deion Sanders was hired in an attempt to bring passion and triumph to a once-dominant program. The Buffaloes have a lot of anticipation leading up to the 2023 season, where they have a chance to make a bigger impact in the PAC12 than years prior.
On the Recruiting Trail
One major aspect that the Deion Sanders hire brought to Colorado was attention. After all, who wouldn’t want to play for Coach Prime? Immediately following his hire, he got right after it in terms of recruiting.
Not only was he bringing in talented incoming freshman, but some stars followed him from JSU to Colorado. On the first national signing period, Sanders landed 14 high school recruits and 10 transfers, including his two sons Shedeur and Shilo who followed him from Jackson State.
The biggest name in the 2023 draft class, Travis Hunter, a five-star receiver and cornerback, had previously committed to Jackson State after being recruited there by Coach Sanders. Seemingly, he flipped his commitment to the Buffaloes following Deion’s departure for Colorado. Hunter is the highest rated recruit in CU history.
All in all, the hype around Deion was and is real, and the talent that followed him to Colorado has proven that. The first season will be a big test for Prime and his coaching staff as they try to establish their culture of dominance in the PAC12.
You Can’t Put a Band-Aid on a Bullet Hole
While this addition of Deion Sanders as the head coach of CU will change this program for the better in the foreseeable future, I do feel that the media and fans are jumping the gun a bit. You have to keep in mind, this team went 1-11 last year. While I know this team will be much better than previous ones, a complete 180 turnaround can’t be expected.
Vegas obviously hasn’t bought in very much on the hype, setting projected win totals for the Buffaloes at 4.5 in 2023. People have to realize that Deion Sanders only has three years of coaching experience, and has yet to coach a game at the Division I level. The levels of competition will test Sanders in his first year at the helm.
Over time, I do see this benefitting the Colorado program as a whole. Once the culture gets implemented and recruiting classes become more consistent, they will be a force out west. However, until these changes happen, which will take a few years, I wouldn’t expect a complete turnaround for this football program just yet.
