As is often the case in the college football universe, there was some speculation Tuesday morning when ESPN’s “First Take” once again placed Deion Sanders front and center in conversations about SEC jobs. Stephen A. Smith had an almost trademarked wild take about Coach Prime and stated that the job offers should be lining up for various schools to hire him.
Once again, Smith’s points centered around the fact that one has to give Sanders credit for where he transformed Colorado’s football program from a 1-11 team in turmoil to a true Big 12 contender. That level of result is going to have him get offers that Smith has no doubt will be bigger opportunities.
“I think so, and the reason I think so is that he has shown what he can do when he has talent, he has shown an ability to recruit talent to get people to want to come to his program,” Smith declared.
The ESPN personality then painted picture after picture of what Sanders could do at top-tier destinations.
“Just imagine if he was in Tuscaloosa? What if, instead of DeBoer, it was him coaching Alabama?”
Smith didn’t stop with the hypothetical. The ESPN host seized upon Sanders’ ability to recruit and inject life into programs that had been stagnant for years.
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It’s not fair to underestimate Colorado’s resurgence under Sanders. The program had languished in mediocrity since 2016 before Coach Prime arrived in Boulder. When he arrived, he turned a one-win program into a four-win program in year one. Year two gives even more jarring results with nine wins and a trip to the College Football Playoff.
Stephen A. Smith Questions Alabama’s Direction Under Kalen DeBoer
Smith’s most incendiary comments were made right at Alabama, and he puts this question to all of us: Does Kalen DeBoer represent, possibly, the right candidate to replace Nick Saban in his legendary time at Alabama? The ESPN host left no doubt that he was unhappy with DeBoer’s first season in Alabama.
“I’m not sold on DeBoer,” Smith stated bluntly
While Smith acknowledged DeBoer’s success at Washington, he thought Alabama could use something different. Even DeBoer’s 9-4 record in 2024, a record good enough for most programs, failed to meet the championship standard Saban created.
Smith illustrated the possibilities Sanders could create for Alabama with the resources at Alabama. The combination of Sanders’ recruiting ability and the institution of Alabama would create something that has not been seen in college football.
Meanwhile, Colorado’s results with Sanders show that his methods work well at the collegiate level. His record of 13-12 in two seasons offered consistency of improvement and exceeded expectations. And most importantly, he’s returned a program that fell off the map nationally into relevance.
Also Read:
- “You’re Not the Star Basketball Player”: Stephen A. Smith Refuses to Hold Back as He Calls Out Gilbert Arenas on Legal Troubles
- “He’ll Jump Into the Transfer Portal”: Shannon Sharpe Questions Deion Sanders’ Old-School Discipline Style at Colorado
- ‘The Enemy Uses the Same Game’ – Deion Sanders Keeps It Real, Preaches Self-Improvement
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