Deion Sanders and Mark Vassett go way back to the very beginning of Coach Prime’s journey with the Colorado Buffaloes. Just weeks after Sanders was named head coach on Dec. 3, 2022, Vassett became one of the first to buy into his vision, announcing his commitment on Dec. 26, 2022.
Since then, the Aussie punter has been a key part of Colorado’s rebuild under Sanders. Now set to take his talents to the NFL, Vassett has earned praise from Sanders.
Deion Sanders Applauds Mark Vassett, Punter Responds Affectionately
In a recent Instagram video, Coach Prime gave a heartfelt shout-out to his former punter, Vasset. With genuine pride, he wished him nothing but success in the next level – the NFL.
“You talk about a pillar of consistency; that’s who Mark is. Bonafide leader, bonafide professional, bonafide dawg,” Sanders said. “We never had any doubt of what he was going to do. Miss you, mate. But I know the best is yet to come; somebody is going to give you an opportunity, and I know what you’re going to do with it. Love you, man.”
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Vassett commented on the video with class and love. He wrote
“Love you too, coach, thank you for everything you’ve done for me!” Vassett said.
This surely speaks volumes about their bond on and off the field.
Vassett had two great seasons with the Buffaloes. In the 2023 season, he played in all 12 games, punting 65 times for 2,845 yards, averaging 44.5 yards per punt. He placed 22 punts inside the 20 with just three touchbacks.
His performance earned him first-team All-Pac-12 honors from PFF, second-team recognition from the Associated Press, third-team from College Football Network and Phil Steele, and an honorable mention from coaches.
In the 2024 season, Vassett also impressed, punting 53 times across 13 games. He averaged 43.68 yards per punt, with a long of 60 yards.
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He ranked second in the Big 12 for punts inside the 20 (19) and 50-plus yard punts (15) while recording the second-fewest touchbacks in the conference. In addition to his punting duties, he served as the holder for all 72 field goal and PAT attempts.
In the 2024 NFL Draft, only one punter was selected—Tory Taylor from Iowa, who the Chicago Bears picked in the fourth round. Colorado’s Vassett had an outstanding 2024 season and might be the next punter to make that leap. The big question: which round will he go in, and who will grab him?
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