Stephen A Smith declares Deion Sanders 'Coach of the Year' candidate if Colorado keeps winning

On Saturday, Colorado turned heads with a dominant 48-21 win over UCF, improving its record to 4-1. On First Take on Tuesday, Stephen A. Smith made a bold claim about Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.

“What we’re seeing in Prime Time Deion Sanders — again, it’s not about you being Alabama or Georgia or something like that — it’s about us looking at Colorado and saying, ‘How good is this team going to be?'” Smith said.

“They were projected to finish like 11th [in the Big 12]. They’re 4-1 right now. They keep playing like this, they go to a bowl game, they win about eight or nine games — Deion Sanders is going to be a candidate for coach of the year.”

As Smith mentioned, the media picked Colorado to finish 11th in its first year in the Big 12. Sitting at 2-0 in conference play, the Buffaloes are currently tied for first place with BYU and Texas Tech.

Colorado’s blowout win only becomes more impressive when considering UCF was an 11.5-point favorite in the showdown. Alas, the Buffaloes looked like the better team from start to finish, never trailing the Knights.

In the win, Colorado’s offense was a locomotive, rolling over UCF’s defense and amassing 418 total yards. The Buffaloes’ defense had an even better showing, squeezing four turnovers out of the Knights.

As usual, Colorado’s stars led the way. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 28-of-his-35 pass attempts for 290 yards and three touchdowns while only throwing one interception.

Meanwhile, two-way standout Travis Hunter hauled in nine receptions for 89 yards while recording two tackles and an interception on the defensive side of the ball. Smith believes Colorado could achieve great things with the help of its two stars and Coach Prime.

“The jury is still out. They have things to accomplish. But what we’re seeing from Shedeur Sanders — he may end up being one of the top two quarterbacks taken in this upcoming NFL Draft in the spring,” Smith said. “What we’re seeing in Travis Hunter is a dude that may win the Heisman, because he’s that damn special, OK? And he’s my favorite right now to win the Heisman.”

Colorado will face its greatest test yet in its next game. After enjoying a well-earned bye week, Deion Sanders will lead his Buffaloes to war against No. 20 Kansas State on Oct. 12 at 10:15 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.