Tag: Deion Sanders

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) with head coach Deion Sanders against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders: Zero Colorado players will opt out of Alamo Bowl

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The full complement of Colorado players and Sanders Family can be counted on for the Alamo Bowl this month.

Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders said the game against BYU in San Antonio will be steeped with emotion as the final time he’ll coach his sons — quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders.

“This is gonna be our last game,” Sanders said of coaching his boys one final game. “And you talk about monumental. You talking about something that we started from the youth league. And guess what? It started right here in Texas.”

The Buffaloes were pointed toward the Big 12 Championship in November until a surprising upset against Kansas.

A win over BYU on Dec. 28 would give Colorado a 10-win season for the first time since 2016. The Buffaloes won four games in 2023.

Colorado junior cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter is expected to be handed the Heisman Trophy on Saturday in New York. Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are projected to be early first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Both transferred to Colorado from Jackson State to follow Deion Sanders.

Deion Sanders said both players — and the rest of their teammates — are not opting out to protect themselves physically ahead of the move to the professional ranks.

“Every last one of them are gonna play,” Deion Sanders said. “We don’t tap out. We don’t sit out. This is a blessing to play this wonderful game.

“Our kids are going to play in our bowl game because that’s what we signed up to do. We’re going to finish. We’re not going to tap out because that throws off the structure of next season.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) drops back to pass against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Blue-chip QB Julian Lewis commits to Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has filled his pending vacant roster spot at quarterback with Julian Lewis, a top-10 prospect in the Class of 2025.

Lewis is ranked No. 6 at the quarterback position by the 247Sports composite. Over the weekend, he decommitted from Southern California, to which he gave his verbal pledge in August 2023, and on Thursday announced his new destination on “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Lewis, from Carrollton (Ga.) High School, also considered offers from schools including Georgia, Indiana and Auburn before committing to the Buffaloes.

The 6-foot-1 quarterback earlier reclassified from the 2026 class. Last week, he went over 10,000 career passing yards in high school.

Colorado’s current starting quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is expected to be the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. And Lewis said he welcomes the chance to compete to replace the coach’s son.

“Coach Prime always says that the best players are gonna play and I wanna come in and compete,” Lewis told McAfee. “I wouldn’t have much fun sitting on the bench and I wanted to come somewhere that I have a chance to play.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on before the game against the Utah Utes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders dismisses talk of leaving Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Given his success this season as Colorado’s head coach, it’s no surprise that Deion Sanders’ name has been mentioned for other coaching vacancies, including in the NFL, but Sanders said Tuesday he has no intention of leaving the Buffaloes.

“I’m happy where I am, man,” Sanders told reporters Tuesday. “I’ve got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? … That means I’m resting. I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited. I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do.”

The No. 16 Buffaloes are 8-2, already doubling their win total from last season’s 4-8 finish, which was Sanders’ first at the helm.

He signed a five-year $29.5 million contract with Colorado after the 2022 season, which saw the Buffaloes fire Karl Dorrell midseason and notch just one win.

Now, at 6-1 in the conference, they’re two wins away from competing in the Big 12 title game and are pushing for an appearance in the College Football Playoff.

This success has prompted speculation that Sanders could fill one of several coaching vacancies, including at the NFL level, with former Dallas Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin among those suggesting Sanders could wind up in Dallas if the team parts ways with current coach Mike McCarthy.

Sanders, however, spoke highly of his younger players and the expectation that Colorado’s success will continue, despite the likelihood that key players like Heisman Trophy candidates Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, will depart for the NFL after this season.

“It says a lot about what we plan on being and the stability that we’re going to be here for a while,” he said. “We ain’t going nowhere. We’re about to get comfortable.”

Tied with BYU for first place in the Big 12, Colorado visits 4-6 Kansas on Saturday and finishes out the season hosting 3-7 Oklahoma State.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders on the sidelines in the first quarter at Sonny Lubick Field at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

Colorado coach Deion Sanders decries late kickoff time

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado football coach Deion Sanders continued his war of words against late kickoff times, calling them “stupid” on Thursday.

The Buffaloes (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) will face No. 18 Kansas State (4-1, 1-1) on Saturday in Boulder, Colo., in a game that will start at 8:15 p.m. local time.

Speaking on the “Colorado Football Coaches Show,” Sanders said of the kickoff time, “Who does that to us, man, like who does that? How stupid is that? It’s not smart for a television executive to say we’re going to put this game on at this time. I mean, you’re thinking about eyeballs, you’re thinking about selling merchandise in the commercials, you’re thinking about all of that.

“Why would you do it at that time when half of America is asleep? None of the people I know would do something stupid like that.”

Sanders added that he will take a pregame nap.

Each of Colorado’s two prior home games this season started at 6 p.m. local time. The Buffaloes also had 6:30 p.m. local time starts at Nebraska and Colorado State and a 4:20 p.m. kickoff at UCF.

A year ago this week, Sanders said of an 8 p.m. local time kickoff against Stanford, “Who wants to stay up till 8 o’clock for a dern game?” He added that the late start was the “dumbest thing ever” and “the stupidest thing ever invented in life.”

Television networks clearly like having the Buffaloes in prime time, as their games have all drawn at least 3.2 million viewers nationally. The presence of charismatic coach Sanders and the team’s two star players, quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Deion’s son) and spectacular two-way performer Travis Hunter, drive fans to telecasts of Colorado games.

The Buffaloes are on a three-game winning streak entering their first matchup with a ranked opponent this season.

–Field Level Media

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Colorado S Shilo Sanders (forearm) to return vs. K-State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, son of head coach Deion Sanders, is set to return this week when the Buffaloes face No. 18 Kansas State.

Shilo Sanders missed the past three games due to a forearm injury that necessitated surgery.

“Shilo’s ready. He’s practicing. He’s full go,” Deion Sanders told reporters. “Has a rubber cast on. He’s doing his thing. I can’t wait to see him back there.”

Shilo Sanders was a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2023 after leading Colorado in tackles (70), taking an interception 80 yards for a touchdown and forcing a Big 12-best four fumbles.

This year, the senior safety had recorded 11 tackles through two games before his injury occurred Sept. 7 in a 28-10 loss to Nebraska.

The Buffs have since defeated Colorado State, Baylor and UCF to move to 4-1 on the year.

–Field Level Media

Jul 10, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders speaks to the media during the Big 12 Media Days at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado prohibiting reporter from asking Deion Sanders questions

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The University of Colorado has prohibited Sean Keeler, a Denver Post columnist, from asking questions to head coach Deion Sanders and other members of the football program.

The school confirmed the news Friday in a statement provided to ESPN: “After a series of sustained, personal attacks on the football program and specifically Coach Prime, the CU Athletic Department in conjunction with the football program, have decided not to take questions from Denver Post columnist Sean Keeler at football-related events. Keeler is still permitted to attend football-related activities as a credentialed member of the media and other reporters from the Denver Post are welcome to ask questions of football program personnel made available to the media, including coaches, players and staff.”

The Post reported that a sports information staffer in the Colorado athletic department cited his use of phrases such as “false prophet,” “Deposition Deion,” “Planet Prime,” “Bruce Lee of B.S.,” “the Deion Kool-Aid” and “circus.”

The statement did not specify how long Keeler would be prohibited from asking questions, but a school spokesman clarified that the action was indefinite.

In a news conference earlier in August, Sanders accused Keeler of “always being on the attack” and asked, “What happened to get you like this?” In the discussion, Keeler asked multiple times if he could ask a football question and Sanders declined before moving on.

The Post reported that Sanders has a stipulation in his contract that requires him to speak only with “mutually agreed upon media.”

A Colorado sports information staffer told the Post that “Keeler had not violated any specific media policies” when the paper asked for clarification.

Sanders is set to begin his second season as Colorado’s head coach Thursday night against North Dakota State. The Buffaloes finished last in the Pac-12 after going 4-8 last season.

–Field Level Media

IMG's Jordan Seaton (77) holds off Lipscomb's Beck Woodside (35) at Lipscomb's Reese Smith Football Field in Nashville, Tenn., Friday night, Aug. 18, 2023.

Top 2024 OT Jordan Seaton commits to Colorado

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Jordan Seaton, ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle in the nation by the 247Sports composite, committed Thursday to Colorado.

He was the final five-star prospect in the 2024 class to commit and chose coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes over schools that included Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio State, Oregon and Florida.

The composite lists the 6-foot-5, 287-pound Seaton as the No. 15 overall player in the class. He played his senior season this fall at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., after transferring from St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C.

He announced his commitment on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” on Thursday morning.

In the past, he told 247Sports that Colorado had one thing the other schools couldn’t offer: Sanders.

“My favorite thing about that program is probably the head coach,” Seaton has told 247Sports in the past. “He’s a gold jacket. He knows what it looks like.”

This is the second straight season that Sanders has recruited a No. 1 player at his position to Colorado. In the 2023 class, it was cornerback Cormani McClain.

–Field Level Media

Oct 28, 2023; Pasadena, California, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts against the UCLA Bruins in the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado’s Deion Sanders named SI’s Sportsperson of Year

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated, the magazine announced Thursday.

The selection of Sanders is a curious one given the Buffaloes followed up a 3-0 start to the season with losses in eight of their final nine games.

Sanders, however, took over a Colorado club that limped to a 1-11 record in 2022 and promptly welcomed players to “go ahead and jump in the portal,” an obvious sign that a roster overhaul was on the way. Accompanying the Pro Football Hall of Famer were others from Jackson State, including his son Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.

Colorado’s games became appointment-viewing given his star power and over-the-top style. So much so that the team sold out its home games for the season for the first time in history.

“Deion Sanders dominated the sports conversation in 2023 as a transformative figure not just in Colorado, but for the entire realm of college sports,” Stephen Cannella, editor in chief of Sports Illustrated, said in a statement. “On and off the field, he represents a new model for the modern college coach.”

Sanders, 56, was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and six-time All-Pro during his NFL career. He won two Super Bowl titles and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

–Field Level Media

Jun 15, 2022; Ashburn, Virginia, USA; Washington Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat (90) talks with special consultant and NFL Hall of Fame member Warren Sapp (R) on day two of minicamp at The Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado’s Deion Sanders set to add Warren Sapp to staff

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Warren Sapp is expected to join the coaching staff of fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member Deion Sanders at Colorado in 2024.

Sanders said he was adding Sapp during his weekly coaching show this week.

“I’m excited about Coach Sapp,” Sanders said Wednesday. “He’s going to be invaluable to what he brings to the table … as far as the recruits as well, they’re going to love him.”

Sapp, who played defensive tackle in the NFL, spent time with the Colorado program in the 2023 season in an unofficial role. Sanders did not indicate what position Sapp, 50, would fill.

Colorado began the first season of Sanders’ coaching tenure with a 3-0 record but has lost five straight games to fall to 4-7, with just one win in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes will close their season on Saturday at Utah (7-4).

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Prime relocation: Colorado’s Deion Sanders dodges A&M question

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Responding to a question regarding the Texas A&M coaching vacancy, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said on Tuesday he wasn’t thinking about any openings, instead focusing on helping the struggling Buffaloes rebound.

“Man, I want to win,” Sanders told reporters. “I want to win a game. So you think I really do sit down and think about that kind of stuff? Like what strikes me about that, about myself, that you guys really think I sit down and say, ‘Oh, yeah, (ESPN personality) Stephen A. (Smith), yeah.’ C’mon, c’mon. I’m good. Like, we gotta win. Let’s focus on this week.”

After gaining national coverage following a 3-0 start, Colorado has lost six of seven and must win its final two games, starting Friday night at Washington State, to become bowl-eligible.

However, four of the Buffaloes’ six losses have been by seven points or fewer, a marked improvement over last season’s 1-11 campaign.

Despite the turnaround, recruits are concerned that Sanders won’t stay long at Colorado, including one recruit in Florida who recently withdrew his commitment to the program in 2025.

“I tell them what I told them when I came: I’m here, I’m here,” Sanders said when asked what he would tell the parents of potential recruits. “I tell ‘em my mother’s here. My sister’s here. My dog is here. My daughter’s here. Three of my sons are here. My other daughter comes to darn near every home game. We’re here. I get mail here… I pay taxes here… I’m here. I don’t hear that. Maybe our recruiting staff hears it, but I don’t hear it. I’m too honest with parents. I’m gonna tell ‘em the truth.”

Sanders has three children who are student-athletes at Colorado, having transferred from Jackson State, where he previously coached. If his children were to transfer again, they would possibly have to sit out a season.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders would be a senior next fall, if he doesn’t enter the 2024 NFL Draft. His brother Shilo, who graduated from Jackson State after transferring from South Carolina, has one year of eligibility remaining. Their sister Shelomi is a redshirt freshman walk-on on Colorado’s women’s basketball team.

Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday and will pay him a $77 million buyout.

–Field Level Media