Report: Deion Sanders set to leave Jackson State for Power 5 job

Jackson State University coach Deion Sanders heads into the locker room after pregame warmups with the Tigers before JSU s nonconference battle against longtime rival Southern University at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., Saturday, April 3, 2021. Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Deion Sanders is set to leave Jackson State for a Power 5 job following the SWAC championship game on Saturday, according to a report.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Friday night that Sanders and some of his associates have already begun representing Colorado in recruiting.

Thamel says that a Jackson State staff member checked in on the status of one Colorado recruit’s commitment to the Buffaloes. Sanders also reportedly contacted a prominent athlete who is in the transfer portal, telling him not to make a decision yet because Sanders would soon be at Colorado and wanted him.

Sanders previously confirmed that he has been offered the Buffaloes’ job. The other candidates to interview for the position reportedly have not heard back from the school in weeks, indicating the Buffaloes may have their target.

The Buffaloes have a history of success and developed into a powerhouse in the late 1980s/early 1990s under Bill McCartney. They continued success under Rick Neuheisel and Gary Barnett through the early 2000s. But the program has struggled since joining the Pac-12. This season, they went 1-11 and were the worst Power 5 school in the country.

Sanders does not have any obvious ties to Colorado, and he will be somewhat of a strange fit there. But he can draw plenty of attention and recruits to the school. It also seems evident that Colorado can’t get any worse, which makes the risk of hiring the inexperienced Sanders worthwhile.

Sanders has gone 26-5 in three seasons at Jackson State. His Tigers are 11-0 this season.