In the two years Deion Sanders has been the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, he has been instrumental in turning around the program. Travis Hunter even won the Heisman under his tutelage, and Shedeur Sanders went on to produce 4,134 yards. Everything looked positive until now, and Shedeur was easily a top-10 pick. But fast forward to 24th April on NFL draft day, the mood shifted drastically. Shedeur’s name was nowhere in the 32 picks. The guy didn’t even cut it into the first 4 rounds and was reduced to make do with a 144th pick in the 5th round. What changed? And who is to blame? Well, according to Colin Cowherd, it has something to do with Deion Sanders.

Deion Sanders’ voice carries weight in every room and becomes a headline quickly. So the Buffs’ head coach, knowingly or unknowingly, championed Shedeur’s case whenever the opportunity arose. In interviews, press conferences, and social media posts, Coach Prime defended his son’s case. He pushed back on what he called “lies” being spread about him.

“The lies, that’s gonna be that.” But we’re great with adversity.” Deion further added, “He is built for that. He’s the most qualified young man who plays that position that’s built for that, and to be in front of the lights and to continuously shine.” The head coach even threatened to call the person out spreading the lies, but later claimed to have taken the “high road” regarding the whole issue. While loyalty is admirable, not everyone thought the constant coverage was helpful. Colin Cowherd feels that this is something that might have tanked the now-Browns QB’s stock.

Cowherd admitted that he was disillusioned while watching the NFL draft. “I couldn’t understand why he’s dropping. What in the world is happening? Dad is happening. That’s why I like the tack that Arch Manning and his family do. They’re staying in the shadows. That’s where all the real power is in life. Get out in the sun and get burned. Deion was in the sun. Deion spent too much time on television.” Cowherd acknowledged that Deion Sanders’ heart was in the right place, but termed him a “quarterback dad turned pageant mom” for his spotlight and blamed him for Shedeur’s draft snub. So, what to make of this?

Well, Cowherd’s claim isn’t entirely wrong about Deion Sanders’ frequent interviews, since they were undoubtedly taking place. But it’s not that the head coach was just talking about Shedeur Sanders. He talked about every player of the team who was involved in the NFL draft. But there were instances where it looked like Coach Prime was running the show from behind. For instance, he employed Eli Manning’s strategy, where he was traded on draft day, and even ruled out some of the teams entirely. “There’s certain cities that ain’t gonna happen. It’s gonna be an Eli.” Now, to conclude it, whether Shedeur’s draft slide was natural or the result of Deion Sanders is an open question, and there is no right or wrong answer in this to begin with. But Deion might have even more stern tests to face.

Deion Sanders is running a “circus,” as per a CFB coach

With both Shedeur and Shilo Sanders gone to the NFL, the Buffs’ head coach will have to change his game plan to employ his strategies to cater to new players. Kaidon Salter will be his new QB, coming from Liberty after producing 2,879 passing yards and 1,089 rushing yards just last year. The O-line will have different starters coming in from the transfer portal, including Zylon Crisler from Illinois and Zarian McGill from Louisiana Tech. This influx of high transfer portal players has come with a harsh take.

“It’s gonna be a circus just like last season, so expect the unexpected. It doesn’t matter what noise Prime makes — they cannot have a winning season without a functional run game and a legit offensive line. That’s the one position group you can’t really portal in one cycle. If they’re halfway better there, they’ll have a winning season,” said one anonymous coach.

Well, last year Colorado finished 9-4, making their first winning season since 2016. Deion Sanders might have lost his sons to the NFL, but he is doing everything to bolster his squad. For instance, the last-minute flip of Julian Lewis from USC was a coup, and the addition of Williams Joseph from Tulsa in the receiver department screams hope. But, the coach’s take is true that Colorado has a high transfer portal influx with 29 players coming in as opposed to just 14 high school commits in the 2025 cycle. However, will this reign in doom? Only time will tell.