Deion Sanders Plans on Dominating at Colorado After Shedeur, Travis Hunter Go to NFL

Deion Sanders made it clear he’s committed long term to Colorado with Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter entering in all likelihood what’s their last season of college ball.

“I’m a leader of men, not a follower of men,” he said at the 20:23 mark in Monday’s episode of The Joel Klatt Show. “I’m a father, not a baby daddy. I lead my sons, I don’t follow my sons. My sons, Travis included, are getting ready to migrate to the NFL. I’m not following them to the NFL.”

Sanders added that “I plan on being here and being dominant here.”

From the moment he arrived in Boulder, Colorado, many wondered whether the Hall of Fame cornerback would be there for the long haul or look to parlay early success into a more prestigious job elsewhere.

That’s generally what happens with any coach who performs well at a Group of Five program or one lower down on the power conference pyramid.

Sanders had also set a bit of a precedent with his Jackson State tenure. He sold a grand vision for the program and HBCU football as a whole but still left after three years. And at the time, Colorado was simultaneously a step up but one of the worst Power Five vacancies in the country.

The 56-year-old’s comments to Klatt echo what he has already said elsewhere this offseason, tentatively setting a time frame of anywhere from five to 10 years or more for how long he’ll stay at Colorado.

But proclamations like that don’t carry much weight because of how quickly the college football landscape can shift.

Oklahoma didn’t plan on Lincoln Riley bolting after five years. Kalen DeBoer was at Washington for just two seasons before he accepted the Alabama job. Arizona extended Jedd Fisch’s contract in December 2022, only to see him replace DeBoer this past January. Lane Kiffin has worked at four different schools in what’s a 12-year career so far.

Colorado knows firsthand how volatile the coaching carousel can be. Mel Tucker led the Buffaloes to a 5-7 finish in 2019 and then was gone after just one year.

Sanders’ commitment for now is unclear. The real test will come if Colorado improves in 2024 and its coach starts getting linked with whatever schools are looking for a new leader on the sideline.