Colorado football DC job an intriguing one due to Travis Hunter, Coach Prime's son

Bleacher Report's Jack Murray believes the Colorado football defensive coordinator job, opened up by Charles Kelly's departure to Auburn on December 30, is an intriguing one due to Travis Hunter and Shilo Sanders.

"Colorado went 4-8 in 2023, which was a three-win improvement from 2022," Murray prefaced before saying, "It was Sanders' first year with the program and while there were some growing pains, the program appears set to improve going forward as it enters the Big 12.

"The Buffaloes' defense was an issue in 2023 as it surrendered more than 30 points seven times and ranked 127th of 130 teams in total defense. Still, the unit has some solid playmakers like Travis Hunter and Shilo Sanders, and the job should be an intriguing one for prospective coaches."

Potential Colorado football defensive coordinator options

One name that immediately comes to mind for Colorado's defensive coordinator position is Mike Zimmer, whose last job at Jackson State under Coach Prime combined with his NFL coaching experience makes him a logical fit. The NFL could come calling, but it's plausible that Zimmer can take a detour in the Big 12 to join an old colleague -- especially since Zimmer has claimed he still maintains a great relationship with Coach Prime.

“Deion and I have a very interesting and unique but great relationship,” said Zimmer (h/t BuffsBeat). “He’s gonna get the guys in there he wants, he's an outstanding recruiter. He's a terrific man who treats his players with the utmost respect. He can discipline them and wants them to be better people than just football players as they move forward." 

Another option is Warren Sapp. While Sapp's NFL career would be even more widely known by recruits and their families, it's possible that he doesn't prove to be qualified for a significant on-field role; this, at least, according to Footballscoop's John Brice.

“Sanders has yet to specify the potential role that Sapp is going to fill, and it’s unclear if Sapp already is qualified to be a full-time, on-field assistant coach — should Sanders have an opening on the defensive side of the ball,” Brice wrote.

Deion Sanders has myriad other options, but these are some with some connections to the Colorado football head coach.