Get ready for more Prime Time. The attention is warranted for Colorado’s star coach

If you’re suffering from Deion Sanders fatigue, exhausted by the Colorado football coach’s repeated presence on sports feeds and debate shows, you’re in for a rough few months.

By securing a commitment from star recruit Julian Lewis on Thursday, Sanders secured more than just a top quarterback prospect. He also came up with more options for his future, a reality that will ensure he continues to have a prominent position in news cycles to come.

Whatever happens, the attention is warranted based on the impressive work he’s done over the past five seasons, leading Jackson State to a 27-6 record before leading Colorado to a share of the Big 12 lead in Saturday’s game against Kansas.

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Before this week, I had given competitive odds that Sanders would leave Colorado after this season. Two of his friends told me a few years ago that his main reason for taking the job at Jackson State – his first as a college coach – was to ensure that Shedeur Sanders, his youngest son, would have every opportunity to develop into a top quarterback and a top quarterback. highly drafted NFL player.

Through four seasons, including the last two at Colorado, the 22-year-old Shedeur has completed 70 percent of his passes for 13,415 yards and 124 touchdowns with just 24 interceptions. He has also rushed for 17 scores, although he is not considered a dual threat in the classic sense. He is a pocket passer with the mobility to create space and make off-platform throws with accuracy and speed.

Where that will land him in the draft is unknown, but credible draft analysts have him and Miami’s Cam Ward as the top quarterback prospects. And with teams placing a premium on the position — 17 signal-callers have been selected at No. 1 overall since 2000 — there seems a good chance he’ll be drafted at the top of the first round, if not first overall.

Which brings me back to his father’s future and possible options. Deion Sanders could easily consider his mission and hang up his whistle at the end of the season, especially now that cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, a frontrunner to win this season’s Heisman Trophy, has already declared that he too will be heading out for the NFL postseason. The loss of his two best players represents a significant drain of talent that Sanders will find difficult to replace in the short term, potentially leading to fewer wins.

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Sanders was a Hall of Fame cornerback and standout baseball player. You don’t practice both sports at the highest level… in the same season … without having a competitive drive that matches your physical capabilities. That’s why I didn’t see him staying in Colorado with an inferior roster.

However, having Lewis in the fold gives him a bell-cow performer that he can not only build around, but use as a magnet to attract more playmakers. Lewis had previously committed to USC, but changed his mind in part because of Sanders and Shedeur’s success. It suggests recruits look past the glitz and glamor and recognize skills development.

“It’s a huge opportunity!” Lewis said a statement to On3. “What Coach Prime has managed to build in two seasons is undeniable. I have had the opportunity to get to know him and believe he can further develop me into the player and person I want to be. Coach (Pat) Shurmur has been an NFL offensive coordinator and head coach, so he understands exactly what is needed at the next level. Coach Prime is going to play the best player, whether it’s a freshman or a walk-on.”

@KingJames Thanks my brother for the support! pic.twitter.com/UD39rXZn6I

— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) November 17, 2024

But back to the discussion about the future and possible options. There has been speculation that NFL teams could be interested in Sanders, who has had just one losing season in four years and has the 8-2 Buffaloes in contention for a College Football Playoff berth two years after going 1-11 ended the season before Sanders arrived. He has not publicly expressed interest in making the jump, telling Sports Illustrated in 2023: “I have no desire or ambition to coach in the NFL. I have a problem with guys getting their checks and not doing their jobs. I have a problem with that. I would be too tough as a coach in the NFL because I still have those old-fashioned qualities.

And yet…

Michael Irvin, a close friend and former teammate on the Dallas Cowboys, believes Sanders wouldn’t hesitate to accept the Cowboys job if it was offered and Shedeur was drafted by Dallas.

“I believe in it 100 percent,” he said on Fox Sports’ “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “And I can tell you: good sources have told me that. Great resources told me that. That’s all I can say without violating anything else.

These types of comments tend to fuel the rumor mill because no matter how long it lasts, you can’t completely dismiss the idea until Cowboys owner Jerry Jones categorically says it’s not happening, which he hasn’t done.

Sanders’ name could also come up for other college jobs, especially if the Buffaloes reach the Playoff and make a run. He was an unproven asset in 2021 after taking the job at Jackson State. Major colleges were unwilling to take a chance on him because he had no track record. Some wondered if he had more style than substance.

Florida State, his alma mater, is regularly mentioned as a possibility, but that seems unlikely because of the cost of moving on from coach Mike Norvell and because the teams aren’t on the best terms after FSU didn’t have many van made an effort to land Sanders a few years ago when he first talked about coaching at the collegiate level.

It would be irresponsible to throw out the names of other schools before there’s an opening, but college football has become just as cutthroat as the NFL, and Sanders’ landing can be seen as a blessing not only on the field, but also out there, as it turns out due to the increase in the number of visitors, viewers and contributions from alumni. Never forget that football at major universities is as much a business as it is a game, which is why Sanders is in a great position.

He has proven himself on both fronts. He has exceeded expectations at every turn and taken a group that was judged the second-worst staff in the Big 12 enters the season and advances to the cusp of a Big 12 championship. Lewis’ promise was yet another victory in a season full of victories, but it is significant because it gives him the opportunity to make decisions about his future based on whether something aligns with his purpose and vision. If the NFL calls, great. If another college program calls, cool. There is no negative for Sanders. He’s positioned himself to have positive options no matter the situation, which means we’ll definitely continue to see him on news feeds and debate shows.

(Photo of Deion Sanders talking to Fox Sports reporter Jenny Taft after a win against Utah: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)