The Colorado Buffaloes program has drawn more attention than any other program in college football in recent years, including the blue-chip, national championship-winning teams.
Legendary Hall of Fame coach Deion Sanders has enlisted the help of several all-time greats to help prepare his players for the next level.
Deion Sanders Is Changing the Course of the Colorado Football Program
The Colorado Buffaloes had the most successful NFL Draft they’ve had as a program in nearly 15 years. They hadn’t had a single player drafted since the 2021 NFL Draft, and it was the first time they’d had a player selected in the first round since tackle Nate Solder and defensive back Jimmy Smith were drafted in 2011.
In 2024, Colorado had four players drafted. Travis Hunter became the highest drafted wide receiver and cornerback in program history, while Shedeur Sanders and wide receivers Jimmy Horn Jr. and LaJohntay Wester were all selected on Day 3 of the draft.
Coach Sanders’ unique approach to the Colorado program has attracted national attention, with all 32 teams attending their showcase ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. In a recent YouTube video, Sanders opens up by saying: “We are a tremendous navigational system to the game that you want to play. We know how to get there because we’ve been there.”
Iconic running back Marshall Faulk took over as the running backs coach in early 2025 and will coach his first season in college football this year. He, too, spoke about what Sanders is doing with the football program in Colorado.
“He’s not just getting these kids ready for the league, he’s getting them ready for life.”
And Warren Sapp added: “That’s the thing I think people are forgetting, how much love he sends out.”
Sapp has been helping to coach the defense. He was a quality control coach in 2024 and has now been put in charge as the pass rush coordinator in 2025.
Sanders is surrounding his players with Hall of Famers. Players turned coaches who have been in the league and had success. These players are all-time greats. Legends. Super Bowl winners and All-Pros, and the Colorado players understand that if they want to get to the league then they’re going to have a great opportunity to do so under Coach Prime.
The Future of the Colorado Football Program with Deion Sanders
Colorado added eight more four-star recruits in the 2025 recruiting class, and one five-star quarterback, Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Lewis was originally committed to LSU, but Coach Prime encouraged him to come and play for the Buffaloes, where he’ll be able to compete for the starting job as a freshman. The five-star QB has drawn comparisons to C.J. Stroud when he came out of high school.
Among the four-star commits are two offensive linemen, guard Chauncey Gooden and tackle Carde Smith. Considering the Buffaloes’ struggles with the offensive line in years past, adding four-star recruits is crucial.