Deion Sanders is a polarizing figure, especially as the player affectionately known as “Prime Time.” As a coach, Sanders still has his haters, but in general he is a much more loved coach than player, and that has everything to do with his greatness as a Hall of Fame player.
As we inch towards kicking off the 2026 college football season, ESPN put together a top 10 list of college football’s greatest supervillains. It should come as no surprise that Colorado Buffaloes head coach and former Florida State star Deion Sanders made the cut. In fact, he made the list for his “villain era” in both his coaching and player careers.
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Sanders comes in at No. 9 on the list, one spot ahead of former USC quarterback and current Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams.
ESPN’s Ryan McGee highlights one moment during Sanders’ career as a Seminole that epitomizes why some may label Sanders a supervillain. Florida State was playing Clemson, and Sanders stood at the bottom of The Hill taunting the Tigers as they ran down from Howard’s Rock. Sanders, of course, enjoyed the boos and proceeded to talk smack to the Clemson bench. During the game, Sanders made his presence felt, returning a punt for a 75-yard touchdown.
If I were a Clemson fan, that would definitely make Sanders a villain in my book.
McGee also writes that Sanders’ move from Jackson State to Colorado was not criticized when it happened, but when the season started, wins and losses were celebrated equally by either his haters or fans. Sanders has said numerous times since becoming the Buffaloes’ head coach something to the effect of “you better kick us when we are down, because we won’t be here for long.”
Fast-forward to 2023, when Sanders moved from Jackson State to become Boss Buffalo. If anyone thought he was divisive as a pre-internet player, he damn near broke the internet every Saturday as Colorado won a lot early, which many celebrated, then lost a lot late, which even more celebrated. And just like that day at Clemson nearly four decades ago, he has relished that role, too. – McGee, ESPN
So far, Colorado has not been a consistently winning program under coach Prime, with just one winning season during his three years. Still, there is renewed hope entering 2026 that Sanders can turn Colorado into a winning program, and if he does, likely more haters will be waiting.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Deion Sanders ranked among college football’s greatest villains
