Deion Sanders has gone from one of college football's biggest stories to one of its biggest question marks.
The Athletic placed the Colorado football head coach in Tier 5 of its annual head coach rankings, a drop from last year's Tier 4. The category is labeled "up and down," and the ranking has much to do with Colorado's 3-9 finish in 2025 after the Buffs went 9-4 the previous season.
The Athletic's Chris Vannini said the ranking considers a coach's full head-coaching resume, recent performance, resources and longevity. Sanders enters his fourth season at CU with a 16-21 record in Boulder, including a 4-8 debut season in 2023, the 9-4 season in 2024 and last year's slide.
Boston College's Bill O'Brien was also placed in Tier 5, while the top of the list featured Indiana's Curt Cignetti and Georgia's Kirby Smart alone in Tier 1. North Carolina's Bill Belichick was placed in Tier 7.
The ranking is not a prediction for 2026, but it captures the stakes around this Colorado season. Sanders no longer has Shedeur Sanders or Travis Hunter, the two faces of the rise in 2023 and 2024. Instead, the Buffs are leaning on endless question marks with redshirt freshman Julian Lewis at quarterback, a new staff led by offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, and a roster reshaped by 43 incoming transfers.
Colorado opens its season at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3. A strong performance would not only change the team's outlook but also give Sanders a direct answer to the skepticism surrounding his place in the sport.
Follow James Carnes on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Deion Sanders drops in updated national head coach ranking