NFL HC jobs will be targeted for Deion Sanders of Colorado and Lincoln Riley of USC.
It’s possible that the numerous NFL scouting personnel who attended the game to see USC defeat Colorado 48-41 were not just there to watch the players.
According to Peter King of NBC Sports, the head coaches of the Buffaloes and Trojans, Deion Sanders and Lincoln Riley, “will both get NFL feelers, probably soon.”.
Teams in the NFL have been keeping an eye on Riley for a while.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic reported in July 2020 on his extension with Oklahoma that he had turned down requests to speak with “several” professional teams.
The 40-year-old has many reasons to remain in college, including the rumored $110 million, but the day may come when he’s ready to leave the year-round grind of coaching and recruiting and coaching and recruiting behind.
Sanders, on the other hand, has witnessed a rapid rise in his coaching reputation, making anything possible.
His 27-6 record at Jackson State over the course of three seasons put his doubters to rest, and Colorado’s 3-2 start has only served to enhance his standing. The Buffs already have two more victories than they did in all of 2022.
There is no doubt that the Hall of Famer would immediately command a level of respect in the locker room if given the opportunity to coach in the NFL, which is another point in his favor.
With losses to Oregon and USC, Colorado has returned to reality, but it still has three ranked opponents left on the schedule in Oregon State, Washington State, and Utah.
In the event that the Buffaloes end the season with a losing record, perhaps NFL teams’ interest in Coach Prime wanes a little.
But everything could change if he guides the team to a bowl game.
