Deion Sanders says his health is better after a battle with bladder cancer. That said, in the world of college football recruiting, it would be naive to pretend that Sanders’ health concerns won’t be used against him. Even if things are fine now (and we have only Sanders’ word for that), the health issues will hang over Colorado’s recruiting.
While Deion Sanders has made extensive (some would say unprecedented) use of the transfer portal, he does engage in a fair amount of high school recruiting, bringing in standouts like QB Julian Lewis and second-year tackle Jordan Seaton. How will his health issues impact the Colorado recruiting situation? Here’s an early projection.
Will Deion Sanders’ Health Impact Colorado’s Recruiting?
Impact on Visibility
First, the simple truth. Coach Prime made Colorado relevant. The Buffs hadn’t posted a winning season since 2016 until Deion Sanders’ second year 9-4 mark last season. But more than wins and losses, Sanders made Colorado a place that people noticed– and that recruits were interested in.
For instance, Colorado started the 2020s with recruiting classes that 247sports ranked 36th, 65th and 58th. Sanders’ immediate impact was to boost the 2023 class to 21st. The 2024 class came in at 22nd and the 2025 class at 24th. Again, those classes doubtlessly would have ranked even higher if not for the massive influx of portal additions.
At the moment, with his health issues having impacted recruiting, Deion Sanders’ 2026 class is ranked 80th by 247sports. He does have a pair of four-star commitments, but considering the run of current performance to recent performance, it’s pretty clear that the health scare has already impacted Colorado recruiting.
Impact on Offense
The other immediate issue aside from exposure is offense. In the four years before Deion Sanders, Colorado’s offense averaged between 15.4 and 28.5 points per game, while also totaling between 131 and 238 passing yards per game.
In 2023, Colorado had 28.2 points and 295 passing yards per game. In 2024, those numbers jumped to 32.9 points and 318 passing yards per game.
Sanders’ Colorado system was at least partially to credit for Travis Hunter’s Heisman season and for Sanders’ son Shedeur’s sparking stats leading the offense. Even after Shedeur’s draft slide, the Buffs had four offensive players picked in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Working backward would require a count back to 2019 to find the four previous offensive Colorado players picked in the draft. The last Buff first rounder before Travis Hunter was picked in 2011.
If Deion Sanders isn’t able to coach, the Colorado offense would struggle not to revert to pre-Sanders numbers with pre-Sanders lack of NFL intrigue. It’s not hard to imagine recruits, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, noticing that move.
Impact on Defense
What Deion Sanders, who of course was a defensive star himself, has done on the defensive side of the ball, while not as noticeable as the changes on offense, might be even more impressive. In the year before he came to Colorado, the Buffs allowed 44.5 points and 510 yards per game.
In Sanders’ first year, those numbers dropped to 34.8 points and 453 yards. Last year, the numbers fell further to 23.1 points and 352 yards per game. During that run, Colorado’s sack total rose from nine the year before Sanders to 27 to 39 last season.
While Colorado’s rise on offense has had more bells and whistles, it’s safe to conclude that Deion Sanders’ impact on defense might be even more profound. Both of the 2026 four-star recruits who are committed to Colorado are defensive players. It’s not hard to imagine that if Sanders were unable to coach, those players might well reconsider in a hurry.
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