Sanders has his share of suitors, and it looks as though he’ll decide between Colorado, South Florida and Cincinnati. He could also decide to stay at Jackson State.
Colorado and South Florida were rumored as potential destinations earlier this month, and Cincinnati (9-3, 6-2 in AAC) joined the fray following Luke Fickell’s decision to take the Wisconsin job.
The Bearcats would be an interesting landing spot for Sanders. They are making the move from the American Athletic Conference to the Big 12 and could use a splash hire to mark the occasion. Of Sanders’ three options, they are also in the best position to win in 2023.
UCF and Houston are departing the AAC for the Big 12 alongside Cincinnati, which leaves the door open for Sanders to build a contender from scratch at USF (1-11, 0-8 in AAC).
Colorado (1-11, 1-8 in Pac-12) has fallen on hard times, posting a losing record in 16 of the past 17 seasons. The Buffaloes were a national power from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, when Sanders was in the prime of his NFL career. He knows the program is capable of producing winners. Between 1989 and 1996, Colorado went 78-15-4.
As the Pac-12 braces for the departures of UCLA and USC, Colorado would have the potential to emerge as a premiere destination in the conference with Sanders. He would also give the conference a much-needed profile boost.
Sanders coaches his sons QB Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders at Jackson State, and it could come down to which school sees them in its future as well. Cincinnati QB Ben Bryant is a fifth-year senior, while an assortment of Colorado QBs completed fewer than 50 percent of their passes (49.7 percent) while being responsible for as many interceptions as touchdowns (10).
USF starting QB Katravis Marsh suffered a neck injury on Nov. 12 and missed the rest of the regular season. He took over for Baylor transfer Gerry Bohanon after his own season-ending shoulder injury. (h/t Tampa Bay Times)
Shedeur Sanders is 281-of-400 (70.3 percent) for 3,063 yards and 32 touchdowns with six interceptions as a sophomore. He would be an upgrade over the current options at the three potential landing spots for his dad.
“Prime Time” campaigned hard for his son to receive Heisman Trophy consideration this season. His candidacy would be improved by a move to the FBS.
