For Deion Sanders, the fight to rebuild Colorado just got tougher, and the new threat is coming from right down the road. With several players already preparing to leave the program, Sanders will have to rebuild through recruiting. That urgency is shared by in-state rival Colorado State, which just made a major move in its own head-coaching department. The hire puts added pressure on Sanders, as the Rams could now become a real threat to lure talent away from Folsom Field.

Going through a similar season as their rivals, Colorado State announced its decision to hire Jim Mora as its new head coach. He signed a five-year deal worth $13 million, with his salary increasing by $100,000 each year from $2.4 million. He led UConn to a 9-3 season and became a priority target for the Rams after they went 2-10 in the MW conference. The hire seems to be a perfect match, as Mora expressed his desire to coach the Rams for the rest of his career.

“I’m confident that it will be the last place ever. As young coaches, we all aspire to ascend. As a head coach, I’ve never gone anywhere and thought this would be the next step. I’ve always thought this would be the last step. And I’m very confident in saying that this will absolutely be the last step.” Mora said during his unveiling. “This place offers everything to my family and me that we could ever desire from a professional standpoint and from a personal standpoint. And we just can’t wait to get here and plant our roots.”

With Colorado State joining the Pac-12, Mora’s hiring only intensifies the rivalry between the Buffaloes and the Rams. Both programs are aiming to establish in-state dominance and build a national presence. Mora has already made his intentions clear: he wants to keep every top Colorado athlete in-state and turn them into Colorado State players.

Mora and Sanders are both known for their recruiting ability. However, Mora may have the upper hand. Under his leadership, UConn wide receiver Skylar Bell developed into one of the top performers in the country, finishing as a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award. Success like that could influence emerging players to choose CSU over CU.

And with players already making moves to leave CU, Jim Mora’s appointment creates a tricky situation for Deion Sanders as he deals with a mass exodus.

Deion Sanders on players leaving Colorado

Deion Sanders’ third season did not go as planned for the Colorado Buffaloes. After a messy 3-9 finish, the program is now seeing multiple players enter the transfer portal. Linebacker Mantrez Walker announced on social media that he plans to pursue other opportunities, becoming the fourth member of the 2025 class to leave. However, Sanders believes their decisions aren’t tied to results or playing time.

“When a guy leaves a program that selected him, picked him, or got him at the portal, he leaves for a multitude of reasons,” Sanders said.

“The number one reason people leave their money. It’s not a disdain for staff or disdain for players. It’s money… I admire these guys who want to go for another opportunity, a bigger opportunity, and play for a national championship. I applaud that, but that’s not the number one reason people leave programs.”

Along with Walker, safety Terrance Love also confirmed his intentions to enter the transfer portal.