Tag: Deion Sanders

Improved depth, player growth leading to success for Colorado football

The growth of Carter Stoutmire, Taje McCoy and others prove that Colorado can develop players

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter may garner most of the headlines, but the Colorado Buffaloes are far from a two-man show.

Defensive players such as safety Carter Stoutmire and defensive end Taje McCoy, for example, have excelled during their second seasons in Boulder, showcasing that Colorado can develop young talent. Just as impressive, left tackle Jordan Seaton, center Cash Cleveland, wide receiver Drelon Miller and running back Micah Welch have shared success as true freshmen this season.

Including the slew of transfers brought in last offseason, head coach Deion Sanders’ improved depth is a large reason why the Buffs are fighting for a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

“We understand the difference between a chance and an opportunity,” Coach Prime said earlier this week. “Those guys are taking advantage of their opportunities. It says a lot about the depth, the development of these young men. We aren’t supposed to recruit guys out of high school, but I think we got three freshmen that are playing prominent roles on our team right now and doing a wonderful job — about to have four because No. 29 (Welch) is back now).”

Coach Prime added that there’s a greater purpose behind Colorado’s commitment to building depth.

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

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Former Broncos TEs coach takes over as UNC-Charlotte’s interim coach

Tim Brewster, who coached Broncos tight ends from 2005-2006, has been named interim head coach of the Charlotte 49ers.

A former Denver Broncos assistant coach is getting a head coach job at the college level, at least on an interim basis.

After parting ways with Biff Poggi halfway through their season, the Charlotte 49ers have named Tim Brewster their interim head coach.

Brewster, 64, is a veteran coach who served as Denver’s tight ends coach from 2005-2006. The Broncos’ top tight ends in those two seasons Jeb Putzier, Stephen Alexander and Tony Scheffler.

Brewster left Denver in 2007 to become the head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers. After going 15-30 over four seasons, Brewster was let go in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with eight other colleges, each time as an assistant coach.

Before joining UNC-Charlotte as an associate head coach and tight ends coach earlier this year, Brewster served as Colorado’s tight ends coach under Deion Sanders in 2023. He also coached with Sanders at Jackson State in 2022. Before that, Brewster spent time at Florida, North Carolina, Texas A&M, Florida State and Mississippi State.

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Tony’s Take: Dear national media, drop the Deion to Dallas bit

The national media isn’t listening to Coach Prime

Another day, another national media voice is trying to sway Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders to leave Boulder. The most-mentioned destination is the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, whose season has spiraled under Mike McCarthy’s leadership.

Back in July, I pleaded with people to start listening to Coach Prime when he says he’s happy at Colorado. My message to individuals still pushing the Deion to Dallas narrative is simple: stop.

Former Cowboys wide receivers Michael Irvin and Dez Bryant became the latest voices to lead the charge of getting Coach Prime to Dallas. Last week, Irvin didn’t heed my warning when he directly pitched the Cowboys to Sanders on FS1’s “Speak.” Coach Prime shut Irvin down by walking outside to show the “Speak” crew his picturesque view of Folsom Field and the Boulder Flatirons.

More evidence of Coach Prime’s desire to stay at Colorado comes from Adam Gorney of Rivals, who shared an update on the Buffs’ pursuit of five-star quarterback Julian Lewis. Here’s what Gorney wrote earlier this week:

Colorado is now the frontrunner for Lewis, who has been to Boulder numerous times and over a period of months has grown to really appreciate numerous things about the program. Sanders’ staying power in Boulder — basically Lewis’ thinking that the coach will stay at Colorado (instead of) following his sons Shedeur and Shilo along with Travis Hunter to the NFL has helped the Buffaloes here.

Start listening to Coach Prime when he says he’s happy in Boulder.

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Shedeur Sanders commits to East-West Shrine Bowl at Cowboys’ home stadium

He’s sure to be one of college football’s hottest commodities leading up to the 2025 NFL draft, and now he’s set to play his final college game at AT&T Stadium. Some believe it could be a preview of where he’ll suit up as a pro, too. Colorado …

He’s sure to be one of college football’s hottest commodities leading up to the 2025 NFL draft, and now he’s set to play his final college game at AT&T Stadium.

Some believe it could be a preview of where he’ll suit up as a pro, too.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders has committed to the East-West Shrine Bowl, to be played Jan. 30 at the home venue of the Cowboys in Arlington. The annual all-star contest was held last year at the team’s headquarters, The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco.

It’s a massive get for the Shrine Bowl, which competes with the Reese’s Senior Bowl for the best collegiate players to showcase each year but has generally lagged behind in terms of pre-draft clout, marquee value, and playing caliber of the prospects involved.

This one commitment has the potential to instantly flip that for 2025.

Sanders is the 22-year-old son of Cowboys dynasty-era icon and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who currently serves as Colorado’s head coach. After leading Jackson State to prominence and then departing for Boulder in 2023, Deion has turned the Buffaloes into a top-20 team, developed two-way phenom Travis Hunter into a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, and turned his son into a household name among elite quarterback prospects.

Along the way, Deion has emerged as a name to watch for the next round of NFL head-coach openings, particularly in Dallas, where Mike McCarthy has led a struggling Cowboys team to a disappointing 3-7 record and is on the final year of a contract that will expire once the season is over… just before the Shrine Bowl.

Deion has said publicly that he has no interest in leaving Colorado, but many wonder how motivated he’d be to stay once Shedeur and his other son Shilo- who plays safety for CU, is already a grad student, will also be eligible for the draft, and has also committed to the Shrine Bowl- have moved on.

Additionally, Deion has said that he’ll be very involved in the draft process for both of his sons and Hunter- that he’d intervene if a team he feels wouldn’t be a good fit were to select any of them. And of course, his decades-long close relationship with the most valuable sports franchise on earth and owner Jerry Jones is well-documented.

In short, there are just too many dots there for observers not to connect, too many coincidences not to wonder “what if?”

Just this week, former Cowboys teammate Michael Irvin said in an interview that, if the Cowboys were to draft Shedeur in the spring, “I believe 100 percent” that Deion would accept a head coaching job with the organization.

“And I can tell you,” he continued with a knowing grin, “good sources have told me that.”

The Cowboys will certainly get a good, long look at Shedeur in January. While the all-star game itself is a draw for fans, NFL coaches and scouts value the week of practices leading up to the game even more. The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler notes that this year, the Shrine Bowl “has several interesting modifications planned to enhance the week of practice for the quarterbacks in attendance.”

And whether he’s talking shop with Shedeur, Deion, or both, Jones will have tons of insider access to them, given his role as the owner and chief spokesman for the stadium where the game is being played. (Just look at how much airtime he got during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight the venue hosted last weekend.)

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This September, the Cowboys gave quarterback Dak Prescott a new four-year contract worth $240 million. But experts point out that such deals always have some sort of early escape hatch built in for the team. Prescott is currently on injured reserve, out for the rest of the 2024 season with a hamstring injury suffered in Week 9.

Cowboys Wire’s latest mock draft looks at a scenario where the team drafts Shedeur in the first round, lets him learn the ropes under a recuperating Prescott in 2025, and then trades Prescott (to a team he must approve) and hands the reins to Sanders.

Between Shedeur, Deion, McCarthy, Prescott, and Jones, there are a lot of moving parts to the whole saga.

But, coincidentally or not, all of the main characters will converge in the Metroplex for what is shaping up to be a possibly monumental week in January.

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Deion Sanders reaffirms desire to stay at Colorado: ‘I’m happy where I am’

Deion Sanders addressed the latest rumors of him leaving CU for another job

As head coach Deion Sanders continues leading the Colorado Buffaloes to wins, national analysts have followed by spreading rumors linking Coach Prime to the Dallas Cowboys, Florida State Seminoles and other destinations.

Sanders has made it clear since he was hired to guide CU football’s turnaround that he has no desire to coach in the NFL. The opportunity to coach his son and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders at the next level doesn’t even intrigue him, Coach Prime told Fox’s Joel Klatt over the summer.

Those who continue pushing Deion Sanders toward the NFL or other college jobs include Stephen A. Smith, Cam Newton, Chris Broussard, Dez Bryant and Michael Irvin, to name a few. Most recently, Irvin spouted that Coach Prime would “100%” take the Cowboys’ head job if they drafted Shedeur.

During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Sanders was asked about these latest rumors:

“I’m happy where I am, I’m good,” Sanders said. “I got a kickstand down… That means I’m rested, I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited, I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do.”

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Ron Jaworski compares Quinyon Mitchell to a Hall of Fame cornerback

Ron Jaworski compares Philadelphia Eagles star rookie Quinyon Mitchell to Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders

Quinyon Mitchell has been the talk of the NFL world for weeks now and gained the attention of former Eagles great Ron Jaworksi after the rookie cornerback held Terry McLaurin without a catch in Philadelphia’s Week 11 win.

Mitchell has played a major part in the Eagles’ having the NFL’s No. 2 ranked pass defense (173.2 YPG), and Jaworski compared the former Toledo star to a Hall of Fame cornerback and current Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders.

Mitchell is the only NFL cornerback this season with 375+ coverage snaps and 0 passing touchdowns allowed this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Mitchell, who has limited opponents to a 51.1% completion percentage and 71.4 passer rating, also ranks 2nd among NFL CBs with a 23.4% forced incompletion percentage, behind Denzel Ward (31.3%) (min. 30 targets). Overall, the rookie ranks 3rd among NFL CBs with 11 forced incompletions, trailing only Ward (15) and Paulson Adebo (12).

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The Deion Sanders to the Cowboys rumors: Here’s the latest

Could Deion really leave Colorado to coach the Cowboys?

The Mike McCarthy hot seat rumors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon with the Dallas Cowboys floundering and Dak Prescott out for the year.

And while Bill Belichick will be a popular name as a possible replacement, none other than former Cowboys star Deion Sanders has been thrown around as a candidate, despite the fact that he’s continuing to coach Colorado.

If you’re watching the Cowboys play, you might be wondering: what’s the latest with those rumors?

The answer is that Sanders shut that down with former Cowboys wideout Michael Irvin while on FS1’s Speak On: “I love it where I am!”

Make of that what you will.

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Coach Prime, Shedeur Sanders share thoughts on Travis Hunter’s Heisman case

Coach Prime on Travis Hunter’s Heisman case: “I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see.”

Colorado football superstar Travis Hunter is locked in a tight race for the Heisman Trophy. The Buffs’ cornerback/wide receiver has become the recent favorite over fellow contenders in Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Hunter added numerous cheer-inducing plays to his highlight reel on Saturday against Utah. It was his third game of the season with an interception and an offensive touchdown. He also snagged one of the best catches of his career in the second quarter, going up between two Utes for a 28-yard catch on fourth-and-8.

After the game, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders was asked to share a message to undecided Heisman voters.

“I’m not going to give a message to Heisman voters who are undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is,” Coach Prime said. “It’s supposed to go to the best college football player. That’s been a wrap since Week 2, so we aren’t petitioning for anybody.”

CU quarterback Shedeur Sanders added to the conversation, confirming that building Hunter’s Heisman resume isn’t a top priority when preparing for games.

“We don’t go in a game being like, ‘Oh, we got to get Travis the Heisman,'” Sanders said. “Some teams do that for their players — I’m just playing. We don’t go in a game like that. It’s all natural when it happens.”

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Deion Sanders is done campaigning for Travis Hunter’s Heisman, and he’s right

There’s a clear reason why Travis Hunter is the Heisman Trophy favorite in Week 12.

Selecting the most outstanding college football player each season isn’t always easy, and there isn’t always a clear-cut favorite.

The 2024 Heisman Trophy race has been fascinating to watch all season with preseason favorite Dillon Gabriel, Ashton Jeanty and Cam Ward making some truly standout plays and quintessential Heisman moments on the field.

But, as talented as they are, no one really compares with two-way player Travis Hunter, who entered Week 12 as the consensus Heisman favorite. And Saturday in Colorado’s 49-24 win over Utah, the Buffaloes wide receiver/defensive back reminded everyone why.

Against Utah, Hunter finished with 60 total offensive yards, which is actually a bit low for him. He earned his first rushing touchdown of the season, and on defense, he returned an interception for 21 yards and added three solo tackles and a pass breakup. On the season, he has 10 total touchdowns, 911 receiving yards, three interceptions, eight passes defended and one forced fumble, as Fox Sports noted.

Hunter’s talent and skills are undeniable. Not only does he play almost every snap on both sides of the ball when he’s healthy, but he also often makes standout play after standout play, like this one:

And this one:

With less than a month to go before Heisman voters make their selections, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffs have been stumping hard for Hunter’s Heisman campaign. They’re right to support their player, of course, but they’re also right about no college player in the country being comparable to Hunter, a coveted future NFL Draft pick.

Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders praised Hunter after the game, calling him the best player in the country:

“He’s the best player in the country, hands down, no doubt. There’s not a lot of guys that can do what he do on offense and defense, so it’s really tough to compare him to anybody else because I feel like if he was at a different program — they don’t like us so much. They hate on us too. So it’s real hard, and it makes me sad that they don’t give a guy like him his credit because that’s generational. It ain’t gonna happen again for a long time.”

After the Buffs’ win against Utah, Deion was asked what his message to undecided Heisman voters would be. He echoed his quarterback son’s sentiments but implied he’s done stumping and said:

“I ain’t gonna sit up here and give no message to no Heisman voters who is undecided. If they can’t see, they can’t see. It is what it is. Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player; I think that’s been a wrap since, what? Week 2?

“So, we ain’t petitioning for nobody. We ain’t doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here, and I think we’re on national television every week. If they can’t see it, something is a problem. Don’t allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids’ success. … Give the kids what they deserve.”

Sanders may claim he’s not arguing for Hunter’s Heisman campaign, but he’s still making an argument that the two-way player is the best in college football this season. And he’s right, but at this point, the Sanders family and the rest of Colorado shouldn’t have to be convincing anyone of Hunter’s exceptionalism.

For Oregon, Gabriel makes his dominance look easy. With Miami, Ward is so poised making big plays it’s almost worrisome. And Boise State has the best running back in the country with Jeanty.

But Hunter is an extraordinary two-way player who’s on the field for the majority of games and is having an incredible season. Barring a catastrophic game for him or a couple truly elevated performances from his fellow contenders, the Heisman should be his come December.

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LeBron James blasts ‘haters’ of Deion Sanders, Colorado

Deion Sanders and Colorado are 8-2 and LeBron James wants everyone to know it

LeBron James took to social media on Saturday after Colorado downed Utah to improve to 8-2.

The Los Angeles Lakers star put critics of Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes on blast after they picked up another big Big 12 win.