For the past few years, Deion Sanders has seen Shedeur Sanders command an offense from the perspective of both a football coach and a father. From Jackson State to Colorado, the NFL-bound QB ran Prime’s offense with poise, confidence, and a deep understanding of his father’s vision.
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But now? The NFL is calling. And for the first time in his coaching career, Deion will lead a team without Shedeur at the helm, and that’s a massive void to fill. Luckily for Boulder fans, the head coach has clarity on what he wants from Shedeur’s replacement, as he laid it all out in typical Prime fashion during his first spring presser.
For Deion, replacing Shedeur isn’t easy because the QB’s successor can’t just match his output. Colorado’s next guy at center needs to command the respect of his teammates and lead by example. Prime wants Shedeur’s replacement to be a natural leader, basically, someone who can motivate those around him.
“(I’m looking for) leadership—leadership, being able to see the field, being able to rally those guys around. Because you gotta understand, you got to have a bona fide leader,” Sanders emphasized while answering a reporter.
But in today’s game, that leadership faces an added challenge—quarterbacks no longer huddle like they used to. For Deion, this is a red flag, as it was Shedeur’s ability to translate his confidence and energy to his teammates that he valued most.
“Because players don’t huddle—you rarely huddle in college football—so those guys rarely get to look in the quarterback’s eyes and see what he’s made of and if he’s still composed. They rarely do that,” Deion explained with all honesty.
@DeionSanders spoke about what he’s looking for from Shedeur’s successor.
They are in the process of getting @07ksalt and @JulianLewis10 up to speed (throwing different things at them and seeing how they react etc…).
Says, “the standard is the standard”. https://t.co/aPV2Oqv1J7 pic.twitter.com/uSyMOqhObe
— Mat Smith (@RealMatSmith) March 17, 2025
Hence, Coach Prime’s next QB needs to be proactive and has an aura around him that makes his teammates feel their leader’s confidence and energy. Even without eye contact in a traditional huddle setting.
“But you would see Shedeur sitting there, or he’d go on the sideline talking to those guys. And I always used to tell him, ‘Look in their eyes so they can see where you are. And they can see how passionate you are about this next possession.’”
From the outset, these metrics seem too hard to find in a single player. That’s probably why these qualities are the bare minimum Prime is looking for in his playmaker. For Deion, someone who understands that CU isn’t just about playing football isn’t enough—he wants that person to own the role and maintain the standards set by Shedeur. Another Bowl game or beyond.
“And you want to see that type of leadership because I know what they’ve seen and understand is the standard. And we’re not going to vacillate from the standard.”
Safe to say, whoever steps into Shedeur’s shoes better come ready—because at Colorado, excellence is the only option. And if you aren’t ready, fret not, for Coach Prime will ensure that you are!
