Deion Sanders is back in “Primtetime” mode as the 2024 college football season gets closer and the hype around the Colorado Buffaloes continues to ramp up ahead of the new year.
Sanders became one of the most polarizing stories in college football in 2023.
He took over a Colorado Buffaloes team that only won one game in 2022 — built a new roster through the transfer portal — and ended up winning four games with one of the hardest schedules in college football.
While the 2023 Colorado squad didn’t win enough games to reach a bowl game, Coach Prime believes if he were in the same situation as the Florida State Seminoles this season, there would be no way he would have been left out of the College Football Playoff.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders said notoriety has a heavy impact in the College Football Playoff team selection process, specifically TV ratings and maximum exposure for those involved. Sanders just finished his first season with the Buffaloes at 4-8 overall despite a 3-0 start that saw his program crack the top 20 nationally.
“Coach (Mike) Norvell coached his butt off and we can’t take nothing away from him,” Sanders said during a recent interview with Stephen A. Smith. “But the real question that you have is would you leave me out of the college playoffs? Ain’t no way in the world. We’re box office. You got to see this unless you’re crazy. I wish I had the problems that coach Norvell has.”
The goal for Colorado in 2024 is to get to bowl season, says national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman, which is obtainable if this incoming 2024 class provides immediate help and the return of Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter and others with a new Big 12 schedule show-out.
Deion Sanders said the immediate priority was to overhaul his offensive line through recruiting and he’s done that in short order this month
“Right now it’s all about protecting the quarterback, running the football and stopping the run,” Sanders before the early signing period. “So we’re going to be very active in the portal: offensive line, defensive line, linebackers, a few corners. I’m looking for some dog corners from FCS schools. I’m telling you right now, I’m looking for you. You ain’t hard to find. I’m going to find you. But that’s what I want. We’re going to put it together. It’s easy when you watched us, we got our butts kicked twice.
“Every other game was within six, seven, eight points, maybe. So we were in a multitude of games. We were in 10 games. We got our butts kicked twice. So filling those needs is gonna be a wonderful thing. We know what we want. We know how we want it. We know who we want it. We have already identified it and we’re gonna go get it. I promise you we’re gonna go get it.”
Deion Sanders Says Travis Hunter Is The Best Cornerback And Receiver In College Football
Colorado has some star power on the 2024 roster including Travis Hunter, the 5-star recruit who chose to follow Coach Prime to Jackson State despite offers from every major program in the country. He then transferred to join the Buffaloes when Sanders took over as the team’s head coach last season.
Hunter is a gifted athlete and likely future first round pick. In a rare move for a college football player, Hunter played both cornerback and wide receiver for Colorado in 2023 and thrived on both sides of the ball. He had 31 tackles, five pass deflections and three interceptions as a corner.
Offensively, he posted 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns. Those aren’t eye-popping stats on either side of the ball, but solid nonetheless.
On Wednesday at BIG 12 Media Day, Deion Sanders made a wild statement about his star player.
𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Deion Sanders says that Travis Hunter is the best WR and CB in College Football.
“He's something we haven't seen in college football. Charles Woodson was him, Champ Bailey was HIM, those guys are unbelievable… but (Travis) he's the best WR in college football… pic.twitter.com/RhkbX5T8fI
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) July 10, 2024
That’s right, Coach Prime claims Hunter is the best cornerback and wide receiver in college football. That’s a bold claim given the talent around the country.
