How Deion Sanders leaving Colorado for the Dallas Cowboys would create a fascinating scenario for the Tennessee Vols
According to multiple reports, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has some level of interest in the Dallas Cowboys head coaching job. Sanders, who played for the Cowboys from 1995 to 1999, reportedly spoke with Dallas owner Jerry Jones about the recently opened job. Whether or not Sanders will take the job (or if he'll […]
According to multiple reports, Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders has some level of interest in the Dallas Cowboys head coaching job.
Sanders, who played for the Cowboys from 1995 to 1999, reportedly spoke with Dallas owner Jerry Jones about the recently opened job.
Whether or not Sanders will take the job (or if he'll be offered the job) is anyone's guess, but it's not a surprise that the Hall of Fame defensive back is interested in being the Cowboys' head coach.
If Sanders leaves Colorado for Dallas, it could create a fascinating scenario (and potentially a tough decision) for the Tennessee Vols.
If Dallas hire Sanders to replace Mike McCarthy as the franchise's head coach, Colorado's players would then have 30 days to enter the NCAA transfer portal.
And there are a couple of Colorado players that would likely be immediately connected to the Vols.
Tennessee lost the battle to Colorado for two big-time recruits during the 2024 recruiting cycle — five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton and four-star wide receiver/athlete Kam Mikell signed with Colorado over Tennessee.
Both Seaton and Mikell were highly touted players in the 2024 recruiting cycle, with Seaton ranked as the No. 1 offensive tackle and Mikell rated as the No. 2 athlete in the nation.
Seaton started for Colorado as a true freshman this past season. He gave up two sacks in his first two games. Seaton then gave up zero sacks the rest of the season.
Mikell, who could also play on the defensive side of the ball, didn't see any action as a true freshman.
If Sanders leaves for Dallas, I would expect both of those players to strongly consider the transfer portal. Sanders was the main reason why both of those players signed with Colorado.
Tennessee would make obvious sense as potential transfer destinations for Seaton and Mikell given the connections that the Vols built with both players during the recruiting process.
Mikell could join a Tennessee wide receiver room that needs some added depth. He would also be an option to play defensive back for the Vols.
Seaton would be a more complicated situation.
After starting as a true freshman at Colorado, Seaton likely wouldn't transfer to a program where he's not guaranteed to start. Tennessee, however, is expected to go with rising junior Lance Heard and true freshman David Sanders Jr as their starting offensive tackles in 2025.
Heard, who started his career at LSU in 2023, is a former five-star recruit who struggled for the Vols in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, Heard was Tennessee's lowest graded player (44.9) on offense in 2024 (of any player that played at least 100 snaps).
It's important to note that Heard was banged up before the season and dealt with an ankle injury during the season. He was still getting adjusted to the Vols' offense while he was playing important snaps for the team. Heard is still a player with a ton of upside.
But if Seaton becomes available, would the Vols be willing to pursue him as their starting left tackle over Heard?
That's a question that only Vols head coach Josh Heupel and his staff can answer because it depends on their internal evaluations and expectations.
Seaton, though, is a player that Tennessee liked a lot during the recruiting process. It could be hard to pass on him if he becomes available and is interested in transferring to Tennessee.
In a perfect world, the Vols grab Seaton out of the portal and they enter the season with three strong starting offensive tackle options in Heard, Sanders, and Seaton. The competition between the three could be settled on the practice field.
But that's not how college football typically works these days thanks to the transfer portal and NIL deals.
We'll see what happens if Sanders takes the Cowboys job. For now, that's a big if. But if Sanders takes the job, Colorado could have a mass exodus of players. And Tennessee will need to be ready to quickly make some tough decisions.
