If losing one staffer wasn’t enough, the Colorado Buffaloes now face another jolt. Marshall Faulk, their former running back coach, took the helm at Southern Jaguars. Just days into his tenure as Southern’s new head coach, Faulk made his stance unmistakably clear: if Power schools come calling for his players, that won’t be a failure. It’ll be proof that the program is moving in the right direction.

“You got to be bringing guys in and pushing guys out,” Faulk did not mince his words on the December 16th episode of the WAFB podcast. “When we win, those guys are going to be attractive. So, I expect the power three, power four, power five schools to look at the guys on our team and say, ‘Hey, let’s go to Southern.’ And that’s a badge of honor for us.”

While many programs brace for portal losses, Faulk is building Southern with the expectation that success will invite poaching, and he’s comfortable with that reality. Faulk officially took over the Jaguars just two days after Southern edged Grambling 28-27 in the 52nd Bayou Classic, stepping in for Terrence Graves following a disappointing 2-10 season.

From the moment he arrived, Faulk has made it clear that this is a reset: culturally, structurally, and philosophically. The early roster movement has already begun.

Wide receiver Darren Morris and starting cornerback Zay Franks have both announced plans to enter the transfer portal, each with one year of eligibility remaining. Rather than pushing back against that trend, Southern is betting big on Faulk. The program handed Faulk a three-year, $1.2 million deal along with a $950,000 assistant salary pool.

Faulk’s running backs room never found a true bell-cow. No back cracked 100 carries all season, while dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter, who didn’t even suit up every week, ended up leading the team with 103 rushes. However, on the Jaguars squad, Faulk will have the chance to start things afresh. What are the factors that might help him to become a transfer portal magnet now that he is so sincere about the recruiting boost?

A key engine behind the legendary “Greatest Show on Turf,” Faulk brings instant offensive credibility. Backers believe he can quickly update Southern’s scheme, and his track record of developing NFL talent has fans convinced he can elevate under-the-radar recruits into legit pro hopefuls.

A hometown legend, Faulk brings instant recruiting gravity. His name could revive the pipelines Southern has lost ground in. At the same time, decades of NFL connections offer a new selling point to Power Five transfers craving stability and development. As if the transfer portal chaos wasn’t enough, Deion now has to keep one eye on an old face turned potential problem.

Marshall Faulk’s exit left a void Deion Sanders didn’t see coming

Nothing came easy for Deion in 2025. A 3-9 record closed the season, Faulk exited the building, and just when Coach Prime hoped for calm, the winter portal opened and started pulling players out of Boulder. Six defenders have already signaled they’ll hit the transfer portal when it opens next month.

The ones who are ready to swap the wagons are Noah King, Teon Parks, and Mantrez Walker, among others. Maybe Faulk’s parting words are now playing on loop in Deion’s head as he is in desperate need of his former coach. 

 “To be coaching, whether it was my agent, other coaches, friends, that’s all they kept telling me over the past 20-something years … When I went to Colorado with Coach Prime, I found that,” Faulk made an emotional claim. 

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So why did Faulk bolt from Boulder? Simple, it was personal. The 52-year-old New Orleans native wanted to head home to Louisiana, a full-circle move for a legend who starred at San Diego State before carving out a Hall of Fame NFL career.

Going by Faulk’s latest presser, he seems to be thoroughly focused on creating waves in the transfer portal. However, there are other areas that he needs to focus on. 

In just one season, Southern slid from SWAC West champs to the conference cellar. While fans will point to the 28-27 Bayou Classic win over Grambling as the one that truly mattered, a two-win 2025 after an eight-win 2024 screams for a full cultural reset. 

Marshall Faulk steps into the rare position of a first-time Division I head coach with minimal college experience. So, making the assembly of a seasoned staff, blending DI and pro backgrounds, is an immediate priority. Star power is guaranteed, but will results follow for Faulk?