Deion Sanders' bright future starts with one of the best teams in Colorado history

Coach Prime secures an outstanding 2025 class as a follow-up to a legit Heisman campaign

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Truthfully, your scribe was critical of the Colorado Buffaloes’ performance against Kansas in Missouri. A head scratcher. I offered, “If the Buffs can’t get fired up for a game in which they control their destiny, how in the world will they react in a game of far less magnitude?

Before another sellout crowd at sun-drenched and chilly Folsom Field, the Buffs responded to the challenge of skeptics, including self, with a dominant 52-0 shutout of the woeful Oklahoma State Cowboys. Coach Mike Gundy’s 20th team in Stillwater lost every conference game. In this unpredictable first Big 12 Conference season with 16 teams, the ‘Pokes were expected to contend for the conference crown. How many folks had Arizona State and Iowa State playing for the title? Be honest.

The Buffs had their shot, fell short, then shellacked Okie State and now wait to see where they’ll be roaming for a bowl. Centenarian super fan Peggy Coppom and long-suffering Colorado football fans have much to celebrate this season. What about the future?

This much is known from a dude who’s been hanging around this football program for five decades: Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are among the greatest players to ever don the Buffs black and gold. Each had fantastic games in the season finale.

Sanders is the most talented quarterback to ever play for the Buffs. Without question the most professional-ready and a sure-fire first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Before praising the sweet-slinging passer, let me be clear: Sanders is the most talented but not the best. Nope. That will rest with Darian Hagan until some other quarterback comes along who never loses a conference game, wins three straight league titles and a national crown. That’s the standard.

However, the 6’2” Dallas native is extremely gifted when it comes to firing the football all over the field with incredible accuracy. Sanders threw for almost 4,000 yards, 35 touchdowns and only eight interceptions? Are you kidding me? His old man coaches the Buffs and was accurate when stating, “Shedeur should be in New York too when Travis wins the Heisman.” Prime ain’t speaking nothing but the truth.

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Colorado’s second-year coach has resurrected the fortunes of a program mightily struggling to honestly maintain the pride and tradition of better years. Coach Prime was also spot on when threatening to return his own Jim Thorpe Award, from collegiate Florida State days, as the nation’s best defensive back. Travis Hunter is not on the short list? What?

This aging sports guy has witnessed many great athletes play for the Buffs over the years. None compare to Hunter’s plethora of skills. While thinking about this column, I’m racing through players since the late 80’s with the speed, agility, hands and jumping ability of the favorite for this year’s Heisman Trophy. Kordell Stewart, Michael Westbrook and Deon Figures popped to mind. There’s many others but all fall short.

Buff fans said goodbye, arguably, to two of the best players in school history. I wonder how long it will take to place their names with the other CU football greats currently recognized within the majestic stadium at the foot of the Flatirons? I was recently talking with former Buff standout Jeremy Bloom. An incredible athlete himself, Bloom made a good point, “Do you think they’ll play in the bowl game?”

Great question. Vast riches await each at the next level. Neither has anything to prove. Do you risk injury? A side note, kudos to Shedeur for reportedly giving his NIL money to the program to support its future success. Way cool.

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A buddy and huge Buff fan wonders if what transpired this season is not a repeat of 1994. Talented team, maybe McCartney’s finest, finished 11-1, had a Heisman winner in Rashaan Salaam and then had to deal with the successful coach departing.

Everyone asks, “Does Prime stay?” I say that’s where 2024 is different from three decades ago. Deion Sanders sticks. Why would some of the nation’s top recruits decommit from other quality programs If they believed the charismatic coach ain’t hanging around?

The future is bright. No wonder Prime constantly wears shades.