![[A photo of Deion Sanders smiling at a Colorado press conference with a Colorado helmet and a football.]](https://uscannenberg-uscannenberg-prod.web.arc-cdn.net/resizer/v2/JVQAANN6MNCMNKTFGS2GADF2GQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=acb2cdeccaa91af1fdae4d19c54c86f7645d99e0449513e26ee64ebffe3e50a2&width=1024&height=576)
“Unpack the Pack Offseason Edition” is a column by Jacob Hare that discusses offseason football news in the Pac-12 conference.
During the Pac-12 regular season, I wrote a weekly column, “Unpack the Pac,” which broke down every game and team. And when it became time for the offseason, I didn’t want to stop writing about the Pac-12. Even though games aren’t being played, there is always Pac-12 news to write about. College football is a 365-day-a-year news cycle, and the Pac-12 has been making waves in the college football landscape this offseason. Between recruiting, NIL, the transfer portal, new coaches and an abundance of rumors, there is much to talk about during the off-season. But let’s start with the new coaches at the conference.
Did Deion Sanders make Colorado relevant again?
The biggest news, not only in the Pac-12 but all of college football, was Deion Sanders being hired as the head coach of Colorado.
The NFL Hall of Famer and former MLB player did a tremendous job in his first collegiate head coach position at Jackson State, where he brought the FCS school to back-to-back SWAC titles and ultimately to national prominence. Sanders was also able to bring top recruits to Jackson State — he even flipped 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter from Florida State to Jackson State.
This was one of the most historic moments in recent memory for college football, as Hunter was the highest ranked player to ever commit to an HBCU. Sanders has continued his hot recruiting streak, bringing some star Jackson State players to Colorado via the transfer portal. Following Sanders are his two best players from Jackson State, cornerback Travis Hunter along with his son and 2022 SWAC offensive player of the year quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Sanders also signed the 2023 number-one cornerback Cormani McClain, who flipped his commitment from Miami to Colorado.
Coach Prime was able to piece together a top-21 recruiting class in under two months at a school with one win in the 2022 season. He even has Colorado ranked higher in recruiting than schools such as UCLA, Oregon State and Washington — all three of whom played in bowl games last season.
Sanders has begun to shift the culture at Colorado, now earning the label of one of the most elite recruiters in the country. The Pac-12 should stay on high alert as Colorado could emerge as a real threat shortly to compete for the Pac-12 title.
What about the other two new head coaches, Stanford’s Troy Taylor and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham? What do they bring to the table?
While these two men are not as flashy and noteworthy as Sanders, they certainly both have much to offer.
Let’s start with Troy Taylor, who, like Sanders, is jumping from FCS to FBS. He played quarterback in the NFL for a bit, so he clearly has a ton of offensive knowledge. Taylor also entirely turned Sacramento State into one of the biggest threats in the FCS in just four years, going 30-8.
Taylor looks to bring the offensive sorcery he brought to Sacramento State to the once prominent and dominant Stanford offense that has not been displayed for almost five years. It will be a tall task for a roster that needs more talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Stanford fans will need to give Taylor time to develop, as this will be his first stint on such a large stage.
New Arizona State head coach and alumnus Kenny Dillingham looks to fix former head coach Herm Edwards’s gigantic mess he left behind. Dillingham will be the youngest coach in Power Five at 32. Dillingham fits the mold of the coach everyone is looking for at any level of football: a young offensive genius with a track record of running a high-powered offense.
Dillingham has already started his recruiting trail with a fantastic start by signing elite 2023 4-star quarterback Jaden Rashada. Dillingham and Rashada could be one of the best head coach and quarterback duos in the Pac-12 if Arizona State can build a talented roster around Rashada.
Just look at what Dillingham did as he was the offensive coordinator for Oregon last year. He helped turn Bo Nix into one of the most elite quarterbacks in the country. If Dillingham can bring over the successful formula he found at Oregon, then this will prove to be a home run hire for the Sun Devils.
“Unpack the Pack Offseason Edition” runs every Wednesday.