Cowboys' Jerry Jones Talks Deion Sanders, NFL HC Rumors: 'One Of The Top People'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones lavished a lot of praise on Deion Sanders but seemed to hint he believes the Colorado head coach is best served in the college ranks.

"One of his greatest skills, that he really brings to college, is that he almost has no peer as far as being a recruiter," Jones said Thursday on 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic's Jon Machota). "Kids want to come play for him. And he has a way of selling that. That is one skill, that recruiting skill, that is not a huge prerequisite for NFL coaches. One of his greatest values is in that area of putting the team together and getting great talent to come play for him there at Colorado.

"All of that would go into your mind. But make no mistake about it, he's one of the top people, young and old, that I've been around in the NFL."

Sanders' coaching stock has rebounded with the Buffaloes sitting at 8-2 and tied for first in the Big 12. There's a path for Colorado to win the conference and qualify for the College Football Playoff, a massive improvement from winning four games in 2023.

As a result, people are beginning to wonder more and more whether Coach Prime is the right guy for the job in the event the Cowboys move on from head coach Mike McCarthy in the offseason.

Franchise legend Michael Irvin went so far as to assert Sanders would "100 percent" accept the job if Dallas picked his son, Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders, in the 2025 NFL draft.

For his part, Sanders has maintained he's committed to Colorado beyond this season.

Contrast that with how he discussed his future during what proved to be his final year at Jackson State. He readily admitted in October 2022 he'd have to consider a serious offer from a Power Five program if one materialized.

Events from Thursday also gave Sanders a compelling reason to stick around in Boulder.

Julian Lewis announced he has committed to Colorado. The Georgia native is a 4-star recruit and the No. 6 quarterback in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class. He's by far the highest-ranked player Sanders and his staff have landed for next season.

Between that and what the Buffaloes are doing on the field, Coach Prime is laying the foundation for the program to achieve something lasting during his tenure.