Deion Sanders has revived the Jackson State football program and has brought a spotlight to HBCU football programs in general. While Sanders has a passion for coaching at that level, he would listen if one of college football's major powers came calling.
Sanders took over at Jackson State in 2020, and he immediately made a massive impact on the team and the SWAC as a whole. In 2021, Jackson State went 11-2 and won a SWAC title. So far in 2022, Sanders has the Tigers rolling again. They are 6-0 with four victories by 40 points or more.
Because of all the success he's had at Jackson State, both on the field and on the recruiting trail, Sanders has been thrown out as a candidate for several Power Five openings. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Sanders was asked about what he would do if a Power Five
"I'm gonna have to entertain it," Sanders said. "Yes, I'm gonna have to entertain it. Straight up. I would be a fool not to."
In the past, Sanders has been speculated as a possible replacement for Mike Norvell at Florida State, his alma mater. With the Seminoles showing improvement in 2022, that may not come to fruition, but there are still several big college football programs with head coaching vacancies.
Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Georgia Tech are already searching for their next head coaches, and more will join that club as the year progresses. Perhaps most notably, Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin's seat can't get much hotter.
Whether Sanders would accept one of those jobs, or another one, remains to be seen. Still, it's clear he has interest in competing on college football's biggest stage.
Sanders has already shown he has what it takes to recruit at an extremely high level. In the 2022 signing class, Sanders beat out many high-profile schools for cornerback Travis Hunter, the No. 1 player in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Sanders also landed signatures from four-star receiver Kevin Coleman and three-star defensive back Tayvion Beasley.
