Prior to Deion Sanders’ appointment as head coach, the last time the Colorado Buffs had a winning season was 2016. Sanders, also known as “Coach Prime,” was appointed ahead of the 2023 season, and while he struggled in his first year, he did turn things around in his second and gave Colorado their first winning season in eight years.
Coach Prime joined Colorado from Jackson State, bringing some talent from JSU and his former players, including his sons, Shedeur and Shilo. He also brought two-way star, Travis Hunter.
Can Deion Sanders Keep Colorado Football Relevant Without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter in 2025?
Shedeur (quarterback) and Hunter (receiver/cornerback) were the heart and soul of Colorado’s offense last season, but both of them are off to the NFL to start their professional careers. Hunter’s importance to the team was such that he was awarded the Heisman Trophy for being the best player in college football. That’s a very big shoe to replace for any team.
Many outlets are already predicting a struggle for Colorado without its two star players, while some are skeptical about Coach Prime’s ability to replace them. ESPN certainly thinks next season will test Coach Prime’s abilities as a top-level coach.
According to ESPN’s Bonagura, Colorado masked a lot of issues with Shedeur and Hunter. Without them, the team’s on-field identity will inevitably evolve. And with that, we’ll also likely get a better understanding of how committed Coach Prime is to the job long term.
Colorado recorded a nine-win season and lost out narrowly on a chance to play in the Big 12 title game due to a tiebreaker. It was a remarkable improvement over the previous season, when Colorado finished in last place in the Pac-12.
The individual brilliance of Shedeur and Hunter propelled Colorado to success, thus shadowing the actual tactical acumen of coach Prime, and with the two stars gone, the spotlight is back on the coach, and he has to prove his boys just carried him.
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New Transfer Kaidon Salter and five-star recruit Julian Lewis are set to compete for the starting quarterback position next season.
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