Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter's exit won't adversely impact Deion Sanders' progress in Colorado, claims Joel Klatt

For the last two seasons, the Colorado Buffaloes had two star players on their roster who lifted the team. Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter were the standouts for Deion Sanders' side, but they no longer play in Boulder.

Sanders and Hunter are now in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively. Their departure has led some to think that the Buffaloes will regress.

However, college football insider Joel Klatt (speaking on Thursday's edition of "The Herd with Colin Cowherd") believes that the Buffaloes are not going to completely lose their form without Shedeur and Hunter.

" I don't see them taking a huge step back. Maybe a small one. They have recruited at a high level." (3:04)

As we have seen throughout his two-year spell in Colorado, Deion Sanders has again made big moves in the transfer portal and has been able to effectively recruit a replacement for Shedeur, both in the short term and in the long term.

For this season, it is likely that the Buffaloes are going to go with Kaidon Salter as their starting quarterback. He is an experienced quarterback who has transferred to the program from the Liberty Flames. During the 2024 season, Salter threw for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns on a Flames team, not at their usually strong self.

Salter is experienced enough to be able to work with the Buffaloes side and lead them to a respectable season. While it is unlikely to match what Shedeur did in 2024, the Buffaloes should be in the running to make a bowl game this year.

In the long run, the Buffaloes have Julian Lewis. He is a five-star quarterback prospect who could be the next long-term project for Deion to work on. If Lewis can live up to the hype, then one should expect Colorado to remain in the conversation for the Big 12 for years to come.

The bigger problem for Deion Sanders: The Big 12 itself

However, Klatt also believes that it is not just the absence of Shedeur and Hunter that will affect the Buffaloes this year, but the strength of the Big 12 Conference as a whole.

This conference has the potential to be very tight, with the bookmakers giving a spread of three wins between the best (over/under 8.5) and worst (over/under 5.5) teams.

In 2024, the Arizona State Sun Devils were ranked last in the preseason poll, and nobody gave them a chance. They would end up winning the Big 12 and nearly making the CFP semi-finals.

The 2025 season is going to be pivotal for Deion Sanders' coaching career. After working with his sons for over 10 years, this is the first time where he cannot rely on them.