Deion Sanders has elevated Colorado, but would ‘Prime Time’ effect endure if he leaves for Dallas Cowboys job?

Colorado coach Deion Sanders has won at every one of his stops, most recently taking the Buffaloes from 1-11 to their first nine-win season since 2016 in two years on the job. With all his success, it makes sense that NFL teams will take an interest in his services. 

Longtime Dallas Cowboys reporter Ed Werder reports that if Sanders is offered the chance to coach the storied franchise, he’s expected to accept. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is apparently fascinated by the idea of bringing Sanders back to Dallas, where he starred as an All-Pro cornerback and won Super Bowl XXX. 

Additionally, Sanders primarily lived in Dallas after his retirement from the NFL, coaching at the youth and high school levels before taking the Jackson State job. He still owns a massive ranch in Canton, 60 miles east of Dallas. Needless to say, it would be a natural homecoming if the mercurial Jones looks his direction. 

If Sanders opts to take the Dallas job, it would be a massive moment for him, one that few could have seen coming when he came to Jackson State without college coaching experience. After a 40-18 record and three first-place conference finishes in five years, the rise would be deserved. That said, it would leave Colorado in a difficult position. 

Few coaches have embraced the transfer portal era quite like Sanders. In his first two seasons, Colorado added 95 transfers. Things have settled down this year as the program brings back a few more returners, especially among backups, but one thing is clear: these players came to campus for Prime. 

The Buffaloes are already set to lose a tremendous amount of talent to the NFL Draft including Heisman winner Travis Hunter, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, receiver LaJohntay Wester and top defenders LaVonta Bentley and Chidozie Nwanko. If Sanders leaves, another transfer portal window opens for any other player on the roster to depart. Left tackle Jordan Seaton and receiver Drelon Miller would be quickly inundated with offers. 

And by the way, this doesn’t stop with returners. Transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter (Liberty), defensive lineman Jehiem Oatis (Alabama) and receiver Joseph Williams (Tulsa) will certainly have other options. All of those positions are perhaps the most attractive and expensive to find in the portal. Four-star quarterback recruit Julian Lewis will be a top target as a high school recruit. 

Furthermore, the timing of the NFL coaching cycle only adds serious complications. Most top college coaching candidates — head and assistant — are locked in. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Robert Livingstone both have NFL backgrounds. Both would presumably love to follow Sanders to the pros given the opportunity, making an internal hire more complicated. 

After the brand growth, Colorado is a more attractive job in 2025 than at any time in the past 25 years. Still, a new staff might have to build a brand new roster following defections — and after the portal market has mostly come and gone. Perhaps the only solace would be that some players could stick around for spring camp since it would be too late to enroll at other schools. The add/drop deadline at Colorado is Jan. 22. Still, they could enter the portal after the spring. 

Matt Rhule (then at Baylor is the only college coach to go directly from a college job to the NFL in the transfer portal era. The program responded with a 2-7 record during the pandemic season. The portal market has only gotten crazier since then. 

UCLA went through a version of this last season when Chip Kelly voluntarily stepped down in February to take Ohio State’s offensive coordinator job. The Bruins were left scrambling after the traditional coaching cycle and ultimately promoted longtime running backs coach and ex-Bruins All-American DeShaun Foster. UCLA actually finished the season impressively, but the tough transition led to a 1-5 record to start the year. 

If there’s one piece of optimism, look to Jackson State. Former Sanders assistant T.C. Taylor took over the program after he left. After a transitional year, Taylor led the Tigers to a 12-2 record and their first Celebration Bowl win and Black college national championship since 1996. The proud program elevated itself and the increased profile and branding was a long-term boon. 

When Colorado hired Sanders, that was the plan — to elevate itself. The Buffaloes wanted to become relevant again, and that has unquestionably happened. CU was one of the most-watched programs of the past two seasons and made countless dollars of merchandise sales. Even if a number of fans leave with Deion, some will stay. He spent the last two years of his life singing the praises of the University of Colorado. 

Even more importantly, legacy Colorado fans will see what’s possible with a successful football team. Moving back to the Big 12 has renewed interest in the program.

Really, whenever the day comes, there’s no clean way to break with Sanders. His brand is bigger than almost any school in college football, as evidenced by the attention and endorsements that came his way. Sanders’ aura defined a Heisman Trophy race and played a major role in his son, Shedeur, growing into a likely top-10 NFL Draft pick. Short of Sanders spending the rest of his career in Boulder, the loss of Prime Time’s brand power on the program will be vast. 

Colorado fans and administration will be sitting on their hands waiting to see what decision Sanders and the Cowboys make in the coming days. If he leaves, the immediate future could be disastrous. Regardless, the experiment still paid off and Colorado will reap the benefit for years to come.