What to expect from Deion Sanders' Colorado this season

Few teams are talked about quite as much as the Colorado Buffaloes. Their head coach, Deion Sanders, is a headline machine, and his unorthodox roster-building strategy has turned plenty of heads.

Perhaps most importantly, however, they have some of the most talented players in the country. Let's take a look at what we can expect to see from the Buffs this season as they move back to the Big 12 Conference.

One key strength

If there's one area in which we can expect Colorado to excel, it's at wide receiver. Xavier Weaver is gone, but there's still heaps of talent at the position.

Jimmy Horn is back after a promising 2023 campaign (58 receptions, 567 yards, six touchdowns) and Will Sheppard has transferred in after a prolific career with Vanderbilt (2,037 yards and 21 TD over the past three seasons). Sheppard is a major breakout candidate, as he's moving to a much less-defensive conference and will be playing in a much more favorable offensive situation.

Two-way star Travis Hunter takes after his coach Sanders, excelling at both receiver and defensive back. It's not clear how many snaps he'll play on each side of the ball, as injuries caused his roles to fluctuate last year. Still, in just nine games, he finished second to Weaver with 721 receiving yards and represents the highest potential on the roster.

Highly-touted prospects

Shedeur Sanders, starting quarterback and son of head coach Deion, could go as high as first overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, depending of course on who's picking there.

Hunter is also viewed as a potential top-five pick, although his case is somewhat more complicated. Do NFL teams expect him to play on both sides of the ball? And if so, how many seasons do they expect him to stay healthy doing so?

Most likely, he'll be primarily a cornerback, stepping in on special teams and occasional offensive snaps, just as Sanders did back in his day. Hunter's defensive acumen alone would make him the top cornerback in many draft classes, but with stars like Michigan's Will Johnson and Notre Dame's Benjamin Morrison both draft-bound, Hunter will likely need to promise at least a bit of offense to put himself over the top.

As for Sanders, there are some real issues with his game; he holds onto the football far too long for someone with his lack of mobility, and his mechanics have a long way to go. On top of it all, the media circus associated with his family might not be welcomed by all NFL franchises.

Still, the talent and production (3,230 yards, 27 TD, 3 INT, 69.3% completion in 2023) are undeniable, so in a weak quarterback class compared to the past couple, Sanders could very well float to the top.

What can the Buffaloes accomplish this year?

For all of the criticism the squad has received through a tough finish to the 2023 season and an up-and-down offseason, the first year of the "Coach Prime" era in Boulder was a resounding success.

The Pac-12 was much tougher than it was the year before, and Colorado still leapt from 1-11 to 4-8 with some marquee wins along the way, as well as close losses against conference contenders like Oregon State, Arizona and Utah.

Now, Colorado is taking a step down competition-wise as it moves to the Big 12. A realistic, attainable goal, yet one the Buffaloes should be proud to accomplish, would be bowl eligibility. The two-season rise from a single-win year to a bowl appearance, and potentially a win, would be a great accomplishment for Sanders and his players.