Deion Sanders has built Colorado into a Big 12 contender, going 9-3 in his second season. He has coached Travis Hunter, the Heisman Trophy favorite, to a spectacular season, with the wide receiver/cornerback catching 92 passes and picking off four more on defense. And his son, Shedeur, just set the Buffaloes' single-season passing record and is projected to be one of the top picks in next year's NFL draft.
Hunter and Sanders' sons Shedeur and Shilo -- who started at safety for the Buffaloes the past two seasons -- are probably headed to the pros, which means the coach no longer has personal ties to Colorado. The Buffs have invested in the football program since Sanders was hired in December 2022, but they don't have the same resources as college football's blue-blood programs. But he has recruited well recently, including signing five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, ESPN's second-ranked recruit in the 2025 class, on Wednesday.
Could Sanders' next step be to leave Colorado for another job -- elsewhere in college football or in the NFL?
Sanders' name has been mentioned for NFL head-coaching jobs, including the Dallas Cowboys, where he starred as a player from 1995 to 1999. Dallas is 5-7 and could part ways with Mike McCarthy at the end of the season. The New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears have all fired their coaches this season.
At the college level, before he was hired by Colorado, the 57-year-old Sanders interviewed at other schools, including his alma mater, Florida State, which just finished a disastrous 2-10 season. No major Power 4 openings are expected over the next month, but he could be a target if there's a surprise.
"It's going to be hard for Colorado to hang onto him," a college coaching agent told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg. "Everyone has taken notice, and rightfully so, of what he's doing."
We asked Rittenberg and NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler to survey college decision-makers and NFL execs to get a feel for Sanders' future. Is what he built at Colorado sustainable, even with his two biggest stars leaving? Is there another college football job that could intrigue him? And are the rumblings about interest from NFL teams true? Here's everything they found out:
Jump to a section:
Is there a college job that could appeal to Sanders?
Could Florida State be an option, now or later?
Do NFL teams have an interest in Sanders?
Is there a specific franchise that could entice him?
What does Shedeur's status mean in all of this?
What's the outlook for Colorado in 2025?
