Deion Sanders addresses career plans after sons leave Colorado

There has been some speculation just one year into Deion Sanders’ time at Colorado that he’s in Boulder for the short haul.

Sanders’ son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, could be a top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and his honorary son, two-way star Travis Hunter, has similar aspirations. Deion’s kid on the defensive side of the ball, safety Shilo Sanders, may not be an NFL lock, but he’ll certainly get looks if only because of the potential that comes along with his last name.

That group departure from campus has critics of Sanders wondering if he’ll stick around at Colorado once those players are gone. After all, before he infused a metric ton of hype into the program, Colorado had long been considered a bottom-feeder program. That was true for just about all of Colorado’s Pac-12 run and it will likely be true now that the Buffaloes are headed to the Big 12 — unless Sanders can change that narrative.

And, at least for now, he’s planning to stick around with the Buffaloes.

“I’m a leader of men, not a follower of men. I’m a father, not a baby daddy. I lead my sons. I don’t follow my sons,” Sanders said in an interview with Joel Klatt (h/t On3). “My sons, Travis [Hunter] included, are getting ready to migrate to the NFL. I’m not following them to the NFL.

“I paved the way for my babies. They’re not paving the way for me. So, I plan on being here and being dominant here, because they’re establishing something that we’re going to continue to build on for years to come. And I’m thankful that they’re establishing what they’re establishing.”

Despite all the hype last season, all Sanders established at Buffalo in 2023 was a 4-8 record. He’s done some good work in the transfer portal this offseason and his 2024 recruiting class was ranked No. 22 in the nation, but it’s going to take more than just vibes and hype to turn Colorado into something respectable.

Perhaps that’s why Sanders feels he has to stay in Boulder for the long haul, but it’s worth noting that he has said things like this before that he hasn’t necessarily backed up.

Colorado’s odds to win the Big 12 in 2024 are +3000. The Buffs’ expected win total is 5.5.