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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Colorado cornerback named to the Lott Impact Award Watchlist
Colorado cornerback named to the Lott Impact Award Watchlist 🙅♂️✈️ 🚧 DJ McKinney has been named to the Lott Impact Award Watchlist@DjMcKinney22 x #GoBuffs — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) May 28, 2025 Colorado junior cornerback DJ McKinney was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list on Wednesday. The Lott IMPACT Trophy is awarded annually to a student-athlete who best exhibits the characteristics of Ronnie Lott by making an IMPACT on and off the field. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. McKinney started all 13 games during the 2024 season, playing the most defensive snaps (840) on the team. He finished the year with 62 total tackles (third on the team), 44 unassisted tackles, nine pass breakups, three interceptions, three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. He ranked fourth in the Big 12 in pass deflections. Entering 2025, McKinney has a strong case of becoming the top cornerback in the Big 12 and Colorado's best defensive player. The Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list includes 42 defensive players selected by the award's board of directors. The award is presented each December. Travis Hunter won the award last year, giving Colorado a chance to have back-to-back winners. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Deion Sanders defied doubters and returns to Colorado with a $10M per year deal. What's next?
BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders will still interrupt whatever he's doing — even if he's in a room full of cameras and reporters — to pick up a FaceTime from son Shedeur. He still touts and defends his sons' abilities during the NFL Draft process, both Shedeur, the quarterback expected to be a first-round pick, and safety Shilo, a likely undrafted free agent. Advertisement 'We've already won,' he says, still an overtly proud dad. But when Colorado began spring practice this month, there were no players taking reps with Sanders on their backs. He wasn't sure who his quarterback would be — a first for Sanders in coaching dating back to when he moved Shilo from QB to defensive back because Shedeur showed so much early promise. His early morning mini-sermons to his team — the infamous first one in Boulder promising his Louis Vuitton luggage was coming soon — aren't given with Shilo and Shedeur staring back at him. Two-way star and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, whom Sanders called his 'other son,' is NFL-bound and will hear his name early in this month's draft. More than a few predicted this would never happen. Critics, opposing coaches and even those who appreciated what Sanders did in his first two seasons in Boulder were prepared for Sanders to move on when his sons did. He's coached them his entire career, and the most cynical of onlookers wondered aloud if Sanders' entire detour into college coaching was about paving the smoothest path for his sons into the NFL. Sanders is still here. He's stepping into his third year at Colorado, coming off a breakthrough 9-4 season, and last week, he became one of only a handful of college coaches making more than $10 million a year, agreeing to an extension that runs through 2029. NOW GIVE ME MY THEME MUSIC Coach Prime is staying in Boulder. 🏔️#GoBuffs | — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) March 28, 2025 Like Colorado, the 57-year-old is entering into a new era, one he often calls the 'third quarter' of his life. 'I love it because I only have to wear one hat,' Sanders said. 'When you're a dad and a coach, you're wearing two hats. You're coaching your butt off, but naturally, you're making sure your kids are all right simultaneously. I have adopted kids on this team that I love to life, and I'm watching them as well, but it's nothing like your two biological kids. … It's different for me. I'm sure it's different for them. But I'm loving it.' Sanders has been consistent since he arrived in Boulder to take over a 1-11 program, extolling his love for his new home, its beauty and the reception among those on campus. Colorado let him rebuild the program his way — despite heaps of criticism over flipping nearly his entire roster through the transfer portal in his first offseason — and has reaped the benefits of letting Deion be Deion. Advertisement There's last season's bowl game, the record TV ratings and increased ticket sales and applications to the school, as touted by Colorado. Enter the new deal, which nearly doubled Sanders' salary. Sanders would owe $12 million if he takes another job before Dec. 31, 2025. That number drops to $10 million the following year. Sanders can, however, retire from coaching with no financial penalty. If he returns to coaching, he would owe Colorado the agreed buyout money. A brief dalliance with the Dallas Cowboys didn't get far this offseason, but it was more than a leverage play. 'If I'd had the opportunity to continue coaching Shilo and Shedeur, I would have been ecstatic,' Sanders said. Sanders is still running the program in his own unique way. Cameras remain a constant in the facility, chronicling the program for multiple YouTube channels (including one led by Deion's oldest son, Deion Sanders Jr.) and the 'Coach Prime' show on Amazon that aired its third season this winter. Actor Denzel Washington FaceTimed in for a team meeting last month to offer the team some wisdom. 'I wish I had my notebook with me because I wrote down so many things from that interview he gave us,' sophomore offensive tackle Jordan Seaton said. Sanders is co-hosting his talk show 'We Got Time Today' on Tubi alongside Rocsi Diaz. Sanders recently had to shoot down rumors the two were dating. His five-year engagement with Tracey Edmonds ended in December 2023. Coach Prime gear is still a top seller at the team store. And his health appears improved. Sanders' limp — a constant during his first year at Colorado — is gone, and he hasn't spoken publicly about the issues with his left foot in months. Blood clots cost Sanders two toes and nearly his life in 2021. He needed more surgery before the 2023 season to help alleviate constant pain. Advertisement Then there is the football and trying to build on last season's success without the three most recognized Buffs players. 'I don't inherit legacies,' Sanders said on 'The Skip Bayless Show' last month. 'I build 'em.' Sanders is presiding over a quarterback battle for the first time as a college coach. Four-star freshman JuJu Lewis, a late flip after being committed to USC for over a year, is competing this spring with Kaidon Salter. Salter, a former four-star recruit, began his career at Tennessee before transferring and starring at Liberty, where he accounted for 66 touchdowns in two seasons and led the Flames to an undefeated regular season and Fiesta Bowl berth in 2023. 'Who's gonna be who? We don't know. No one's getting a nod,' Sanders said. 'We're testing both of them to see how they react to what (offensive coordinator) Pat (Shurmur) throws at them.' PERFECT TIMING. ⌚️ What you think @ShedeurSanders 👀@JulianLewis10 x #GoBuffs — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) March 19, 2025 When Sanders started his college coaching career at Jackson State in 2020, he inherited returning starter Jalon Jones. Other than Shedeur, he's the only quarterback to spend a season as Deion Sanders' starter. Now, that exclusive club will grow from two to three. What should Lewis or Salter expect? 'I'm sure there were a lot more home dinners with Shedeur,' Jones said with a laugh. For Jones, it was a surreal crash course in the daily lessons Sanders has tried to instill in his sons for decades. Jones said he learned professionalism, how to present himself, how to run an offense and how to better command his team. Jones said he got to see Sanders as 'a regular guy like you and me.' Jones threw for 11 touchdowns with five more rushing scores as the Tigers finished 4-3 during a season played during the spring because of COVID-19. He tried to play through a groin injury and lost his job late in the season. He transferred, in part, due to Shedeur Sanders' arrival. The three-star prospect flipped his commitment from Florida Atlantic and Willie Taggart to Jackson State to play for his father. Advertisement Jones never got the same focus as Shedeur while Deion's QB. Shedeur led Jackson State to a 23-3 record in two seasons, going 16-0 against SWAC opponents and breaking the school record with 40 passing touchdowns as a sophomore, going on to become the Big 12's offensive player of the year last season at Colorado. On game days, Deion's dual roles were always on display just before kickoff. Deion would walk down the sideline and back with Shedeur, a tradition they shared since youth football. On the way down, Sanders was a coach. On the way back, a father. 'I had no clue that happened,' Jones said. 'That's a special bond.' Colorado's new-look roster still has some carryover from Sanders' sons being on the team. Through his recruitment, Seaton, a freshman All-American at left tackle, built a relationship with Shedeur, who he said taught him to 'be legendary' and to lead with action. 'Coming in as a freshman with a lot of expectation, you kind of walk on eggshells because you don't want to screw nothing up,' Seaton said. 'Getting my feet underneath me, it's just being confident and knowing who I am and knowing I'm the best player on that field, and when I walk in any room, carry myself a certain way and translate that on the field.' Lewis also built a relationship with Shedeur, the QB he's trying to succeed. 'It's definitely a blessing to have a guy like him that just came over top of me,' Lewis said. Deion Sanders again looked to the transfer portal to bolster his roster, adding guard Zy Crisler, a three-year starter for Illinois. Jehiem Oatis, a four-star transfer from Alabama, should be a boost to the defensive line. But Sanders' reliance on the portal has lessened. Just over half of his incoming class is transfers, a far cry from the total overhaul in his first and second seasons when the vast majority of his newcomers were transfers. Advertisement Along with losing their quarterback, replacing Hunter means the Buffaloes will lose their best receiver and defensive back. Shilo Sanders is one of seven starters gone from the Buffaloes defense. The team's top four receivers are gone, too. Three offensive line starters return, including Seaton. 'We don't have the best QB in America anymore. We're going to have to play defense. It's on us,' said defensive line coach Warren Sapp, a Pro Football Hall of Famer promoted from graduate assistant this offseason. Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston might have been the biggest retention for the Buffaloes all offseason, other than Sanders himself. Sanders made the longtime Bengals assistant a first-time play caller a season ago. He improved the Buffaloes defense from 115th in yards per play to 33rd, and helped them leap from 124th in scoring to 42nd with much of the same personnel, save a few key additions at pass rusher. Colorado nearly doubled his pay this offseason, upping it from $800,000 to $1.5 million. 'That had to be the No. 1 purpose,' Sanders said. 'Rob was on everybody's list to try and secure his services. He deserves everything he's got coming and then some.' Said Livingston: 'I say I was the dog on the side of the road that people drove by and say, 'That's a good looking dog, but we're good.' They brought me in. They changed my life, changed my family's life. It's my job to not let them down.' A season ago, Livingston said he was playing 'Ted Lasso,' trying to get his players to believe in what they were going to be with little evidence to show them. This year, belief is much easier to come by, even with a rebooted roster. 'I feel like we will have a better team, I really do. I know we had a few phenomenal players you'll see get drafted, but as a team, I feel like we're better on both lines, better in the backfield — especially with the addition of Marshall Faulk,' Sanders said. Advertisement Faulk's arrival as running backs coach is evidence of Sanders doubling down on hiring NFL legends (and his friends) with little to no coaching experience to fill out his staff. 'You don't get better knowledge. He was in the backfield with Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner telling them about protections,' Sapp said. 'We're both here for Prime. We're not here for money. We're going to hand him that championship trophy.' Domata Peko, a 15-year NFL veteran, and Gunnar White are new coaches for the defensive and offensive lines. Former Buffaloes star and NFL veteran Andre Gurode, who spent the past two seasons coaching in the UFL, is an assistant offensive line coach. Sanders shared camera time alongside both Faulk and Sapp on NFL Network. Faulk said he's been saying no to coaching opportunities since retiring in 2005. In recent years, he's taken Sanders' calls and been drawn into the profession. He takes over a backfield that ranked 133rd out of 134 teams in yards per carry. 'I can guarantee we are going to be better,' Faulk said. 'I'm addicted. I never thought I wanted this job. But, oh, my God do I love it,' Sapp said. 'The babies react to it, and we're having fun.' The face and voice of Colorado football will still be the same, even as the names and faces on the field and sidelines have shifted ahead of Sanders' third year in Boulder. Almost every morning, Sanders posts a motivational message to his 1.8 million followers on X and 5.2 million followers on Instagram. And for a little bit, he'll scroll. When he does, he'll see one impact of last year's 9-4 campaign that makes him smile. Reminders of his 4-8 debut season that included eight losses in the team's final nine games are sparse. 'My God, I haven't heard that and said that in a long time. That used to be on social media all the time,' Sanders said. 'I never see it anymore.'
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Four-star combo guard shares visit with Colorado
Class of 2026 four-star combo guard Tobias Brinkley shared via social media Saturday that he visited with the Colorado Buffaloes men's basketball program. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 180 pounds, Brinkley attends St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta, Georgia. The southpaw missed his junior season after suffering an ACL tear last summer but expects to return this spring for AAU basketball. ESPN tabs Brinkley as a top-50 small forward in his class (though most other recruiting sites list him as a combo guard) and the No. 8 prospect in the state of Georgia. Last year, Blake Smith of Recruits Zone reported that in addition to the Buffaloes, the Auburn Tigers, Memphis Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets are among those who've reached out to Brinkley. He also holds offers from the Cincinnati Bearcats and UTSA Roadrunners. This weekend's visit to Boulder may indicate an offer from CU to Brinkley is imminent: Sko buffs?? #GoBuffs — Tobias Brinkley (@TobiasBrinkley) February 22, 2025 Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Tobias Brinkley takes recruiting visit with Colorado men's basketball
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Colorado announces dates for 2025 homecoming game, family weekend
Dates for two of Colorado football's biggest in-season weekends have been set. On Friday, the Buffaloes announced their family weekend will come on Sept. 20 and their annual homecoming game will follow on Nov. 1. With family members of students flocking to Boulder, the Buffs' family weekend typically yields one of the largest home crowds of the season. This year, the Wyoming Cowboys' first trip to Folsom Field in 16 years will coincide with family weekend. Colorado's homecoming game on Nov. 1 will come against the Arizona Wildcats, who last visited Boulder in 2023 while the two teams were still members of the Pac-12. The Buffs' 2024 homecoming game saw one of the most memorable moments in program history when Shedeur Sanders connected with LaJohntay Wester for a game-tying Hail Mary against the Baylor Bears. Soon-to-be Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter then forced a fumble in overtime to seal a win in Colorado's first game back in the Big 12. Fall plans are coming together! 🏈Homecoming & Family Weekend are set for 2025 #GoBuffs — Colorado Buffaloes (@CUBuffs) February 14, 2025 Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football announces dates for homecoming game, family weekend
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Colorado hires Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as RB coach after FBS-worst rushing effort in 2024
Colorado hired Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk as its running backs coach, the school announced Thursday night. Faulk was the NFL MVP in 2000 and earned All-Pro honors six times. He is the third member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the Colorado staff, joining head coach Deion Sanders and Warren Sapp, who is a senior quality control analyst. One of the greatest to ever play the game. Welcome our new Running Backs Coach, Marshall Faulk, to Colorado!#GoBuffs — Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) February 7, 2025 Faulk is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame for his career at San Diego State, where he earned first-team All-America honors three times. He was the No. 2 pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. Faulk retired from the NFL in 2007 and moved into media, spending several years as an NFL Network analyst. In 2017, the network suspended him, along with multiple other employees, after a former NFL Network wardrobe stylist sued the league's media arm, alleging sexual harassment. The NFL Network settled the lawsuit in 2018. Advertisement Colorado went 9-4 in Sanders' second season this past year, including 7-2 in Big 12 play. The Buffaloes saw wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter win the Heisman Trophy. Hunter and outgoing quarterback Shedeur Sanders are both projected to be high first-round NFL Draft picks this spring. But the Buffs finished dead last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing, ranked 134th with just 65.1 yards per game and 133rd with 2.48 yards per carry, which includes sacks. Their 341 rushing attempts ranked 128th. Colorado also finished in the bottom 10 in rushing in Sanders' first season in 2023.
