Colorado's Deion Sanders down to final three candidates for defensive coordinator

Coach Prime is coming to the end of the search process to replace Charles Kelly

Deion Sanders and his staff are closer to having a new defensive coordinator in Boulder. He went on the record with 'The Ones with RGIII' about the search process and provided a little insight. Coach Prime also said he's down to a final list of three candidates. However, he wouldn't say who they were or the level of experience each of them have.

A few big names surfaced and were connected to the opening on Prime's staff. Two of them were Ed Reed and Mike Zimmer, who both reportedly have interest in the opening. It was reported by 247Sports' Carl Reed that whoever Sanders chooses will have significant NFL experience. Whether that means coaching, playing, or a combination of both, hasn't been determined.

Zimmer has an NFL background and stated that he wants to return to coaching. This would be a perfect opportunity to "break him" back into the full-time duties. One of the biggest questions if he was given the job would be his impact on the recruiting trail. Zimmer, who turns 68 in June, said he has a great relationship with Coach Prime, but that doesn't necessarily translate to wins on the road in living room settings. He's definitely one of the most experienced candidates on any list at this point.

As for Reed, his resume speaks volumes about what he's capable of with bringing in recruits to Boulder. The Hall-of-Famer nearly took over at Jackson State when Sanders came to Colorado. He hasn't taken on a new opportunity since leaving Bethune-Cookman last year, but had a successful run as chief of staff at Miami. Prime's former Ravens teammate is ready to make waves and would add another gold jacket guy on staff.

There are a handful of others who could take over immediately. However, from the sounds of it, Sanders might be courting a solid NFL candidate and waiting for the off-season to finalize the process. We'll see how everything plays out over the next few weeks. Coach Prime did tell his staff earlier this week that a decision would be made very soon.