The Colorado Buffaloes have transformed into a top program in two years thanks to the arrival of Deion Sanders and his family. In two years, the program went from a one-win lowlight to a nine-win turnaround, and Sanders, as the head coach, receives the largest credit.
However, NFL analyst Joel Klatt believes the key factor to the Buffs’ turnaround wasn’t Sanders.
Joel Klatt Names Shedeur Sanders as Key Factor Behind Colorado’s Turnaround
Sanders joined the Buffs in 2023 and brought his son, Shedeur Sanders, with him. The pair had led Jackson State to 11-2 and 12-1 seasons in the previous two years, and despite Colorado’s struggles, they managed to post a nine-win season with the program in 2024.
So, who gets the most credit among the two? Klatt believes it should be Shedeur, who managed a 9-4 season behind a struggling OL that saw him get sacked 42 times.
“I think Deion is such a large presence. He commands the room, the space, the narrative all the time, partly because he demands it, partly because people are interested in him. It’s time for Shedeur to branch off and be his own, but he has been his own…
“As crucial as it was to get Deion there, the key to their success and turnaround in the last two years wasn’t technically Deion; it was Shedeur,” he said on the latest episode of the “Up and Adams Show.”
Klatt further argued that Colorado’s HC receives much praise for the turnaround because of his large presence, while the Buffaloes’ QB was the actual key factor, even ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.
“I think it’s lost because everyone gravitates to kind of the giant gravitational pull of Deion Sanders. It’s like Shedeur was actually the key, wasn’t Travis Hunter, it wasn’t Coach Prime, it was Shedeur. Why did they turn around into a nine-win team three years after being a one-win team that nearly lost with an average of 30 points per game? Shedeur Sanders.”
Colorado finished the regular season ranked in the AP Poll Top 25. Sanders threw for 4,134 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns with 10 interceptions and a career-high 74.0% completion percentage. For his efforts, he was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.
Hunter was equally impressive for the Buffs, catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver. On the defensive side, he tallied 35 tackles, 11 passes defensed, four interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Both Hunter and Sanders have declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, and it will be interesting to see how the elder Sanders manages without the two stars. Both are consensus first-round selections.
While Sanders is projected to be picked seventh overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers, Hunter is snapped early at No. 3 by the New York Giants in PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft.