Shedeur, Deion Sanders are not playing up at Colorado: ‘This is another opportunity’

Deion Sanders has all the confidence in the world that his son Shedeur Sanders will have tremendous success in his first year as a Power Five starting quarterback for Colorado.

While Deion Sanders has injected more life into Colorado football than probably anyone ever, the Buffaloes are going to have to win games to keep this hype machine rolling. It starts with his son Shedeur Sanders playing up to his lofty potential in a Pac-12 chock full of fantastic quarterbacks.

There are already known commodities in the conference under center, whether that be Bo Nix at Oregon, Michael Penix Jr. at Washington, Cam Rising at Utah and of course, Caleb Williams at USC. Intriguing players are also transferring into the league too, whether that be Drew Pyne at Arizona State, D.J. Uiagalelei at Oregon State and Sanders at Colorado. It is a tough matchup every week…

Even though Shedeur Sanders is moving up a few levels in competition from HBCU to the Power Five, Deion Sanders does not see this is a big deal. He was a four-star quarterback coming out of high school anyway, slated to play for Willie Taggart at Florida Atlantic before then deciding to go play for his father at Jackson State. Sanders shined as the starter for the Tigers at the HBCU level.

Here is what Sanders told FanSided on behalf of KFC about his son as the Buffaloes’ quarterback.

"“I don’t think he’s playing up,” said Sanders to FanSided on behalf of KFC. “I think that’s just who he is. This is another opportunity for the whole country to see him play. I mean, if you take his statistics and match them up to anyone in the Pac-12, you’re gonna say ‘Wow, shoot. Okay, I understand.’ … It’s just another opportunity, not just for Shedeur, but many of the athletes we brought in here that have garnered second chances and just wanted a change.”"

Sanders also pointed out that his son went a stellar 19-of-22 passing in Colorado’s spring game “and that does not happen every day, to be that accurate, but that’s just who he’s always been.”

Colorado football might be a new tradition, but The Sanders Family has always been about KFC.

Like Sanders coming to Colorado, KFC Chicken Nuggets are a game-changer. You don’t even know!

I grew up five miles from The Big Chicken in Marietta, Georgia. I get it. It is in my blood too, baby!

It is a family affair in Boulder now, but will all the good vibes remain after year one at Colorado?

Deion Sanders does not see Shedeur Sanders having to play up as a Pac-12 QB

With how strong of a coaching staff Sanders has assembled, which includes prying away former Kent State Golden Flashes head coach Sean Lewis from the MAC to be his offensive coordinator, as well as how quickly he has flipped his roster around, it is not an unrealistic goal for the Buffaloes to achieve bowl eligibility in year one under Coach Prime. Then again, CU just went 1-11.

While that is not the same team that is about to enter fall camp in 2023, five-win improvements would be a staggering result for any college football program, much less one that was seen as the worst in the country after last season. Of course, The Coach Prime Effect is very real. You cannot hope to encapsulate the hype surrounding the Buffaloes ahead of this first season of a new era.

Overall, I would expect for Shedeur Sanders to play well enough against great competition to help CU win a few games they should not. The Pac-12 typically cannibalizes itself in the final weeks of the season, usually preventing its best team from reaching the four-team College Football Playoff. However, CU has a tough 12-game slate this year with TCU and Nebraska in the non-conference.

For Colorado to go bowling, the Buffs need to beat Nebraska and in-state rival Colorado State in the non-conference, and then steal a game or two in conference play. They need to beat Stanford and the Arizona schools. Should Colorado beat TCU in Fort Worth Week 1, that will get them to six wins. If not, well, they are going to have to upset the likes of a UCLA or a Washington State then.

Ultimately, the fact we are even having a conversation about how Colorado could achieve bowl eligibility in the middle of June is a testament to what Sanders is beginning to build in Boulder. He knows this will take time. The good news is he has everyone bought in, and his talented family will be with him every step of the way here. No matter what happens, it will be interesting at Colorado.

Look for Deion Sanders to lean on Shedeur Sanders in winning time to help the Buffaloes prevail.

Deion Sanders spoke with FanSided on behalf of KFC and their new KFC Chicken Nuggets.

To kick off the partnership, Coach Prime and his five children – Deiondra, Deion Jr., Shilo, Shedeur and Shelomi – appear all together for the first time ever in content where they roll up to a KFC drive-thru in true “Prime Time” fashion (in a signature, custom KFC-branded golf cart) to order their fried chicken favorites. Deion Sanders’ mom, Connie Sanders, even makes an appearance in content where the family enjoys new KFC Chicken Nuggets.

Coach Prime’s go-to is a bucket of Original Recipe® fried chicken, Shelomi loves the new KFC Chicken Nuggets, Deion Jr. prefers the spicy KFC Chicken Sandwich and Shedeur goes for Secret Recipe Fries. Deiondra reminds Coach Prime not to forget the sauces! As the family rolls out from the KFC drive-thru in the video, Shilo impersonates his dad, saying, “Looks good, tastes good, it’s all good, baby!”