Deion Sanders is about to be in year No. 2 as Colorado football head coach but his duties off the field, without the headset, are just as important. The recruiting trail has sparked with a commitment from three-star offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden. The Class of 2025 addition attends Lipscomb Academy — and this kind of feature makes Coach Prime look determined for more.
There have been doubters who have felt like the road is going to end sooner than later for Sanders. But the ability to grab talent out of a prep school speaks volumes and echoes throughout the entire college football landscape.
Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro sees this focus on prep recruits as a bellwether of Coach Prime's future at Colorado extending far into the future.
“Maybe the most interesting sign in all of this is the recent uptick in prep recruiting again from Coach Prime—which is a sign he could be here to stay longer than most think," Shapiro wrote. "Why would be spending time and effort trying to flip some of the nation’s best preps who are committed to play in the Big Ten and SEC if he wasn’t going to coach them?”
What else makes this important for Deion Sanders' coaching career?
This kind of attention will attract other players from prep schools to join Colorado, following in Gooden's footsteps.
One big-time recruit could be like, "Hey, he joined Coach Prime. I think I should, too." Sure, it'll never be that easy, but the general idea still stands.
The best outcome for Sanders is if this turns into a domino effect. One player, after another, after another. That would be picture-perfect, especially with Shedeur Sanders exiting for next year's draft after the season concludes.
The more future groundwork is laid, the less we'll hear about Sanders leaving Boulder. He clearly doesn't want to.