Analyst shares nightmare scenario for Deion Sanders' Colorado football team in 2025
On3's Ari Wasserman shared a nightmare scenario for Colorado football in 2025 when numerous stars across the roster hit the NFL: becoming the next FSU, which has plummeted to 1-9 after running the table in 2023 and winning the ACC Championship.
"Honestly, there are still doubts. We’ve seen teams assemble amazing rosters and have incredible one-year runs by having a really productive cycle in the portal. We’ve also seen those same teams — cough, Florida State — return to mediocrity the second those portal players leave for the NFL. Colorado is a pretty old team right now and there’s going to be a lot to replace next year. I’d feel a lot more comfortable with Colorado’s chances of doing so had the high school recruiting piece been where I anticipated," Wasserman wrote.
Ultimately, Wasserman doesn't see things going that way; predicting that Coach Prime will figure out a way to avoid the kind of disaster Mike Norvell is overseeing right now in Tallahassee.
"But what’s the use of doubting anymore? We’re getting close to revenue sharing — which could make Colorado more competitive in paying players — and Sanders’ stardom, platform and marketability gives the Buffaloes added value in trying to add players. Maybe that’s more important than an in-home visit in 2024? Sanders has already accomplished more in a short period than we could have even imagined. These results would have blown us all away had he approached the job the way I — and many other college football analysts — thought he ought to from day one. Sanders has his own plan and maybe it’s time to accept it could work," Wasserman added.
Deion Sanders can offer recruits something with Colorado football that FSU cannot
Coach Prime can and will define the 21st century of Colorado Buffaloes football. Besides his program, CU has been irrelevant since the 1990s when they won a national championship. Colorado has been so underwhelming that the clout from those days has dissipated.
Sanders is bringing something else completely: the chance to go viral every week in the NIL era. That's a lucrative proposal. Travis Hunter, Shedeur, and even Shilo Sanders have enjoyed the fruits of "Prime Time" monetarily.
You go to FSU, you're in Jameis Winston's shadow. Ditto for almost every school in the SEC. But go to Colorado and you could immediately become a star in the sport.
Luckily, it sounds like Julian Lewis is coming along on that idea.