For the first time four years, Deion Sanders will coach without his son at quarterback.
The NFL Hall of Famer is set to take the Colorado Buffaloes into a new era in 2025, as Shedeur Sanders begins his own professional career with the Cleveland Browns.
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Deion worked with Shedeur for the entirety of his son’s college careerCredit: Getty
His former teammate, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, has also waved goodbye to Folsom Field after being selected second overall in the draft.
Sanders and Hunter were undoubtedly two of the biggest names in college football last season, leading Colorado to a 9-4 record that saw them narrowly miss out on the Big 12 Championship Game.
Both of their jersey numbers were retired by the Buffaloes, as a nod to what they achieved with the team.
Now, it will be up to Coach Prime to find a way to win without them.
Ahead of the 2025 season, he has boldly predicted that Colorado will be a ‘better team’ next term, even if they do struggle to replace their two stars.
“They were great players. We have a better team,” Sanders said of Shedeur and Hunter.
“There’s a difference between great players and a great team.
“We have a better team, but we can never replace those types of players.
“It may take three players on offense to replace a Travis Hunter. It may take two players to replace a Shedeur Sanders.
“And that’s what we brought here.”
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College senior Salter, who recently transferred to Colorado, could fill Shedeur’s roleCredit: Getty
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Freshman Lewis has also arrived in Boulder and could challenge to be the starting QBCredit: Getty
Indeed, two players are set to battle it out to fill Shedeur’s quarterback role at Folsom Field in 2025.
Senior Kaidon Salter, who has transferred to Colorado after four years at Liberty, and freshman Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis, a five-star recruit out of Carrollton High School in Georgia, will both have hopes of starting in Boulder.
While the Week 1 game against Georgia Tech is less than two months away, Sanders is yet to pick his starter, and has praised both options.
“Kaidon is off the chain. He’s been there, done that,” Coach Prime explained.
“He can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.
“But JuJu is coming around the mountain when he comes. And I love him. I love what he brings to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to play out. As long as it plays out, we can’t lose either way with those two.”
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Sanders thinks the Buffs have a better team this year despite losing Shedeur and two-way phenom Travis HunterCredit: Getty
While the Buffaloes begin to adapt to life after Shedeur, the 23-year-old Browns QB is locked in a battle for a starting spot in the pros.
He will challenge veteran Super Bowl winner Joe Flacco, former first-round pick Kenny Pickett, and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel for minutes next season.
But if things don’t go his way in training camp, and Sanders finds it hard to compete, he has been tipped for a ‘logical’ trade to the Indianapolis Colts.
“If the Colts want to add more youth to the quarterback room, trading for Sanders would be a logical move,” Dharya Sharma of The Sporting News wrote.
Deion Sanders takes swipe at NIL deals that earned Shedeur Sanders his fortune
“The 23-year-old would put some pressure on (Anthony) Richardson and (Daniel) Jones, and likely create a three-way competition for the starting job.
“It’s incredibly unlikely that the Browns move on from Sanders before they take the field for training camp on July 23.
“However, general manager Andrew Barry could look to trade the 2025 fifth-round pick over cutting him if he hasn’t done enough to make the roster by the end of the preseason.”
Sanders made plenty of noise during minicamp, despite a lack of first-team reps.
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Sanders has been touted for a ‘logical’ trade if his Browns career failsCredit: Getty
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He will return to Cleveland on July 18 as preseason training begins, and how he performs in the coming weeks could have a serious impact on his NFL future.
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