Prime relocation: Colorado's Deion Sanders dodges A&M question

Field Level Media|published: Tue 14th November, 16:35 2023

Nov 11, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. credits: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Responding to a question regarding the Texas A&M coaching vacancy, Colorado coach Deion Sanders said on Tuesday he wasn't thinking about any openings, instead focusing on helping the struggling Buffaloes rebound.

"Man, I want to win," Sanders told reporters. "I want to win a game. So you think I really do sit down and think about that kind of stuff? Like what strikes me about that, about myself, that you guys really think I sit down and say, ‘Oh, yeah, (ESPN personality) Stephen A. (Smith), yeah.' C'mon, c'mon. I'm good. Like, we gotta win. Let's focus on this week."

After gaining national coverage following a 3-0 start, Colorado has lost six of seven and must win its final two games, starting Friday night at Washington State, to become bowl-eligible.

However, four of the Buffaloes' six losses have been by seven points or fewer, a marked improvement over last season's 1-11 campaign.

Despite the turnaround, recruits are concerned that Sanders won't stay long at Colorado, including one recruit in Florida who recently withdrew his commitment to the program in 2025.

"I tell them what I told them when I came: I'm here, I'm here," Sanders said when asked what he would tell the parents of potential recruits. "I tell ‘em my mother's here. My sister's here. My dog is here. My daughter's here. Three of my sons are here. My other daughter comes to darn near every home game. We're here. I get mail here... I pay taxes here... I'm here. I don't hear that. Maybe our recruiting staff hears it, but I don't hear it. I'm too honest with parents. I'm gonna tell ‘em the truth."

Sanders has three children who are student-athletes at Colorado, having transferred from Jackson State, where he previously coached. If his children were to transfer again, they would possibly have to sit out a season.

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders would be a senior next fall, if he doesn't enter the 2024 NFL Draft. His brother Shilo, who graduated from Jackson State after transferring from South Carolina, has one year of eligibility remaining. Their sister Shelomi is a redshirt freshman walk-on on Colorado's women's basketball team.

Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday and will pay him a $77 million buyout.

—Field Level Media