Deion Sanders’ Colorado tenure is already a success, but his next era can push him even higher

After Deion Sanders’ first win at Colorado, a shocking 45-42 upset against TCU, Sanders confronted the media. “Do you believe?” he demanded. 

For those in the room, including myself, the answer was still lukewarm. This was still a surprising and unorthodox hire, a coach who had never worked at the FBS level. Hype seemed to supersede substance. Two years later, his questions proved valid. 

In the 2025 CBS Sports Coach Rankings, Sanders was one of the biggest risers on the board. Sanders jumped 28 spots to No. 33, marking the second-biggest jump of any coach. All but one voter had him clearly in the top 40, a wild change in fortune after finishing 61st in 2024. 

After a 4-8 debut, Sanders led the program to only its second nine-win season in the past 20 years as do-everything athlete Travis Hunter won the Heisman Trophy. Following the breakout season, Sanders was rewarded with a massive five-year, $54 million contract that will keep him in Boulder through 2029. It makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, and the top paid in the Big 12 by a wide margin. That doesn’t even get into the marketing effect, which brought a tremendous amount of money and attention to Colorado football, including some of the highest ratings in the sport. 

For any lingering doubters, they should believe now. Sanders came to Colorado and did everything he said he would do. The Deion era at Colorado is already a success. Now, the real fun starts. 

Sanders was never shy that he coached because of his sons, including Hunter as a third son. He has coached quarterback Shedeur and safety Shilo in each of his four full seasons as a college coach dating back to Jackson State. In 2022, Hunter joined the fray as the No. 1 recruit in the country, a historic coup for the HBCU. 

For those years, almost everything Jackson State and Colorado did was about putting Shedeur and Travis in the best situations possible. The Buffaloes played Hunter both ways in 2023 and 2024, ultimately feeding him enough production to win the Heisman. Shedeur threw more than 900 passes over the past two years, and the team transitioned from a veer-and-shoot coordinator to a pro style to help prepare him for the NFL. 

But after the graduation of both players, Sanders heads into his first year with… a normal football team. There isn’t a guaranteed NFL talent at quarterback or Heisman talent at cornerback and receiver. Instead, there isn’t a single returning All-Big 12 player at any position. The structure of the team, especially on offense, will be substantially different. 

Big 12 spring overreactions: Colorado’s focus shifts to defense under Deion Sanders, BYU remains underrated

Shehan Jeyarajah

That said, Sanders has done a tremendous job of preparing for his next era. Acquiring No. 1 tackle Jordan Seaton last year was a win both in the short and long term, and he will have a shot to transform himself into one of the Big 12’s best. Quarterbacks Kaidon Salter (senior) and Julian Lewis (freshman) are both big-time talents that should keep the position rolling. 

The program also cleaned up in the transfer portal one again with a top 20 class, including Alabama defensive lineman Jaheim Oatis and Florida State wide receiver Hykeem Williams. The high school recruiting also took a step up with a top-40 class and six blue-chip recruits. Colorado also has one of the best combinations of coordinators in the conference with former NFL coach Pat Shumur leading the offense, and rising star Robert Livingstone on defense. 

Ultimately, Sanders won big at Jackson State. He proved he can compete at the highest level at Colorado. If he can continue to adapt to this next moment, Sanders can shoot even higher.