Colorado football made some Alamo Bowl history in its tough 36-14 loss to BYU. The Buffaloes' superb season ended in a whimper as Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders played their last college game together under head coach Deion Sanders. Despite that disappointment, the three can hold their heads high about what they accomplished in 2024. And that success was reflected in the public interest in this game.

According to Yahoo Sports, Colorado vs. BYU drew the largest television audience in Alamo Bowl history, at 8.0 million viewers. While the Buffaloes are not chasing ratings, this metric reflects how relevant this historic program is now.

Deion Sanders' program looks towards a new era for Colorado football

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) talk with the media after the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

A Deion Sanders' coached team was always going to make headlines, but this program's success this year has drawn some eyeballs. Two years removed from a 1-11, the Buffaloes went 9-4 overall and 7-2 in the Big 12 Conference. The team was led by the duo of Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, who both collected a bunch of awards this year. Among those accolades was Sanders being named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Hunter winning a tightly contested Heisman Trophy race.

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2025 could be somewhat of a rebuilding year for Deion Sanders' program as Shedeur and Hunter could potentially be the top two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Buffaloes are set to have interesting quarterback competition heading into next season. Colorado football scored a massive win in recruiting when it flipped four-star QB Julian Lewis from USC. The 17-year-old will be fighting for the starting spot with former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter.

Salter was a highly coveted QB in the transfer portal. In 2023, the Cedar Hill, Texas native had an astounding year with the Flames. Salter threw 40 touchdown passes and only six interceptions while rushing for over 1,000 yards and twelve scores. He was named Conference-USA Most Valuable Player that year and led Liberty to the 2024 Fiesta Bowl. The 21-year-old has one season of eligibility remaining.

With Lewis' commitment, the Buffaloes now have the 35th-ranked recruiting class coming into Boulder for the upcoming season. Colorado is additionally adding reinforcements through the transfer portal to the offensive line. Overall, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter set a foundation for Deion Sanders' program. However, now is the time for “Coach Prime” to truly build the infrastructure for Colorado to contend for Big 12 titles in the future.

With the twelve-team College Football Playoff, the Buffaloes will have ample opportunities to snag a spot in the bracket. Hopefully, the best is yet to come for Deion Sanders' program in this new era.