Saban praises Deion: 'He's a really good coach'

Alabama head coach Nick Saban praised Colorado sideline boss Deion Sanders amid the Buffaloes' stunning start to the 2023 season.

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders," Saban said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Alex Scarborough. "First, he's a great person, and he's done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest.

"But I see their team playing well on the field. They play with discipline, they do a good job of executing, they've been able to score points, playing decent on defense. So all those things, to me, are indicators that he's a really good coach."

Colorado hired Sanders during the offseason, hoping the former Jackson State head coach could help turn around a football program that's mostly struggled in recent years. The gamble's paid off thus far.

With Sanders on the sideline, Colorado has won its first three games this season. The Buffaloes - who rank 19th in the AP Poll - kicked off their campaign with a victory over then-ranked TCU before taking down Nebraska. Coach Prime's outfit most recently edged Colorado State in double overtime.

In April, Colorado had its most-attended spring game in school history after selling out for the first time since 1996.

Sanders joined Colorado after spending three seasons at Jackson State. The Tigers went 27-6 under the 56-year-old.

"He's always been successful whether it was Jackson State, high school, or now in Colorado," added Saban. "His teams have always been well coached."

Colorado posted a 1-11 record in 2022 before hiring Sanders, who's revamped the team's roster by bringing in 86 new scholarship players. Deion's son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter are among the players who followed Sanders to Colorado in 2023.

The Buffaloes have two highly anticipated matchups on tap next, as they visit No. 10 Oregon before hosting No. 5 USC.