‘I’m a navigational system’: How Deion Sanders is changing the direction of Colorado
BOULDER, Colo. — On a sunny February morning, Deion Sanders walked into Colorado’s recruiting lounge, overlooking snow-covered Folsom Field, and sat in a tan leather recliner. He wore a shirt that read: “Ain’t Hard 2 Find.”
A spotlight has followed Sanders his entire adult life, beginning at Florida State before moving on to the NFL, Major League Baseball and, in 2011, the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A distinct blend of athletic skill and an outsized personality has magnified his words and actions.
Sanders, who goes by Coach Prime, stepped off a jet at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport near Boulder on the night of Dec. 4 to take over the Colorado program, and he’s been easy to spot in the months since. His life is constantly documented, cameras following at all hours, from the Super Bowl to Boulder restaurants.
He can’t hide, but he never really wanted to either.
The attention is nothing new for Sanders. He went 27-6 in three years as the head coach of Jackson State, winning two conference championships at a school that had gone 18-37 in the five years before his arrival. That success combined with his persona led to his final season being chronicled in a four-part docuseries, “Coach Prime.”
The buzz is decidedly new for the Buffaloes.
“All you see is him in Colorado, Colorado on TV, Colorado on social media, all eyes on Colorado,” said Darian Hagan, the quarterback for Colorado’s national championship team in 1990 and a member of the school’s football staff since 2005. “That’s what [I remember] this place being, under the microscope, top of the mountain, everybody’s wanting to knock us off. In the last 10 years, it’s been easy to knock us off. We’ve been bad.”
Colorado’s struggles led the school to Sanders this offseason. Through his first four months on the job, Sanders has shown what made his hire both unconventional and rewarding.
He made headlines for his fiery introductory team meeting, where he invited players to “jump in that [transfer] portal,” and for comments last month about what he looks for in recruits that some interpreted as playing into racist stereotypes.
Colorado also has renewed energy, as evidenced by surging ticket demand, booming merch sales and a skyrocketing social media presence. After blue-chip players largely ignored Colorado for decades, Sanders quickly made Boulder a destination for elite talent, bringing in sought-after transfers and a top-25 recruiting class.
The surge has followed a 1-11 campaign and a prolonged stretch that includes only two winning seasons and a 69-134 overall record since 2006.
Colorado’s bottoming out, though, helped create an unlikely union.
“I’m a need-to-be-needed type person,” Sanders told ESPN. “If you show me a need, then I’m there, but if there’s no need, I don’t really have a place. That’s what I do, that’s what I’ve done, I’ve always been that type of guy. There’s a tremendous need [at Colorado], and I don’t just think it’s all about football. It far surpasses football on the field.”
“LET ME SEE if I can find this one thing,” Hagan said, before digging through his desk.
Hagan has logged two stints as Colorado’s running backs coach, the latter of which ended in 2022. He also served as director of player personnel and director of player development, and currently works as executive director for community engagement and outreach, and football ambassador, under Sanders.
His roots with Colorado stretch to 1988, when he arrived as a quarterback from Los Angeles. He went 28-5-2 as CU’s starter, winning three consecutive Big Eight titles and a national championship. From 1989 to 1996, Colorado had five AP top-eight finishes and never ended up outside the top 20 thanks to talents such as Hagan, Eric Bieniemy, Rashaan Salaam, Kordell Stewart and Michael Westbrook.
After unsuccessfully rummaging through his desk, Hagan did a Google image search. A picture of rapper and actor Ice Cube wearing a Colorado hat appeared on the screen.
“When we started dominating college football, I’ll never forget this right here,” Hagan said, smiling. “This made a whole lot of sense to me and made me understand that Colorado was special. When you see celebrities and they’re supporting a program like Colorado, that lets you know you’re being talked about.”
A celebrity is now coaching Colorado, and other celebrities are talking about the Buffs. Last month, Sanders hosted rapper Lil Wayne, who toured the team’s facility while cameras rolled. He marveled, “That’s the f—ing locker room?” upon seeing where the players suited up.
Hagan equates Sanders’ presence at Colorado to former coach Bill McCartney, who he played for, in that they both carry “rock star” personalities on campus and in town. Athletic director Rick George, who served as Colorado’s recruiting coordinator and assistant athletic director for football operations under McCartney from 1987 to 1990, also sees similarities in how Sanders and McCartney outlined expectations, standards and discipline.
The difference, George said, is the instant recognition Sanders carries.
“I was here during those glory years,” said university chancellor Phil DiStefano, then a professor in Colorado’s school of education. “People from around the country, they weren’t alumni but they were wearing Colorado apparel, whether it was Rashaan or Kordell Stewart. Now it’s starting with the coach. He’s started this transformation, this excitement.”
Sanders’ early success in attracting players from around the country, both transfers and high school players, could have a McCartney-like effect at Colorado.
At Jackson State, Sanders flipped Travis Hunter, ESPN’s No. 2 overall recruit in the 2022 class, from Florida State. Hunter has followed Sanders to Boulder.
Colorado’s first recruiting class under Sanders features Cormani McClain, ESPN’s No. 1 cornerback and No. 14 overall prospect, who initially had committed to Miami.
Hunter was ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in talent-rich Georgia, while McClain was ESPN’s No. 3 prospect out of Florida. Colorado added two other top-150 prospects in running back Dylan Edwards from Kansas and wide receiver Adam Hopkins from Georgia. The Buffs’ transfer haul is headlined by Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders — Deion’s son — but also features Arkansas State tight end Seydou Traore and linebackers Demouy Kennedy (Alabama) and LaVonta Bentley (Clemson).
“It’s not supposed to look this easy,” Stewart said. “In three months, he’s accomplished a lot. This is just the beginning, and I’m excited.”
At the NFL Honors awards during Super Bowl week, Sanders presented the AP Coach of the Year award to the New York Giants‘ Brian Daboll, while wearing a black suit and a gold pocket square, CU colors. As Sanders exited the stage, Daboll told him about a player he should consider at Colorado. Sanders immediately got Daboll on the phone with his chief of recruiting.
“That doesn’t just mean that he respects me, and he would love for this kid to play for me,” Sanders said. “You know how much noise we’ve got to be making right now, for that gentleman, as we’re walking off the stage, saying, ‘I’ve got a dawg for you.’
“I said, ‘I ain’t hard to find, coach.'”
FOR TWO DECADES, the Buffs haven’t been good, nor have they been interesting. This recipe for irrelevance has made the program — despite its proud history — a college football afterthought.
But Colorado is cool again. That’s the Coach Prime effect.
The season-ticket renewal rate stands at 97%, according to a Colorado spokesperson, by far the best in school history. Colorado expects to sell out of season tickets this month, and the increase outpaces the 2017 season, which came after coach Mike MacIntyre was named the National Coach of the Year. Let that sink in: Hiring Sanders following a terrible season did more to generate ticket interest than winning the Pac-12 South and finishing ranked for the first time since 2002.
The luxury suites are also sold out. Not even Jeremy Bloom, the former Buffs receiver who is the only athlete to have skied in the Olympics and been drafted in the NFL, could procure one for the upcoming season.
“It doesn’t matter who you are,” Bloom said. “I tried to get one. I can’t, and I have some clout. They are all sold out, and there’s a long waiting list.”
The school has discussed plans on how to make suites or sideline space available for Sanders’ celebrity friends when they attend games, according to Alexis Williams, a senior associate athletic director who oversees ticket sales.
Between deposits and interest forms, Colorado fielded inquiries from roughly 20,000 people for season tickets and will sell tickets to the spring game this year for the first time since the 1970s. So far, more than 39,000 tickets have been sold or distributed. That crowd would be roughly double the highest-ever attended spring game in school history (17,800 in 2008), and it’s possible Folsom Field could sell out at just over 50,000 capacity. ESPN will televise Colorado’s spring game on April 22 (3 p.m. ET), the only spring game to air on the flagship network this year.
“Our sales team,” Williams said, “they can’t even make an outgoing call with the calls coming in.”
Sales are up everywhere. During the first two months of 2023, Colorado ranked No. 2 among college team stores on the Fanatics platform, behind only Georgia. Sales of Colorado gear in December were up 505% over the same month in 2022, according to a Colorado spokesperson.
The uptick on Colorado’s social media, where Sanders occupies a near-constant presence — from the practice field to the state Capitol — has been more of the same. Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, Colorado had a combined 226,800 followers before Sanders was hired. That number has now climbed north of 1 million.
“Very few people saw Karl [Dorrell] or our other coaches, whether it was Coach MacIntyre or Coach [Dan] Hawkins, really being out and being visible,” DiStefano said. “With Coach Sanders, he’s very visible. It’s a positive change for us, coming off of a 1-11 season. To have that turned around so much on the social media platforms — ‘Colorado is finished, there’s nothing going on there, four coaches in the last [11] years’ — now, it just changed overnight, and it’s because of his personality, because he gets out there.”
The Prime pull is real, and will continue all the way until the games kick off this fall.
“You know how there’s a chain that’s moving on a sprocket, there’s a certain spot where it fits in at the right time to change those gears?” Stewart asked. “Prime is like that gear-changer that falls in the slot at the right time, when it’s time to have it change.”
Sanders never expected to be living and coaching in Colorado. But it’s not the first time.
“Do you know what was more unlikely than this?” Sanders asked. “Me going to Jackson State. How unlikely was that? And you see what happened.
“This is going to be bigger.”
0:42
Deion Sanders tells his team he’s accepted Colorado HC position
Deion Sanders has a discussion with the Jackson State football team after their win about how he has accepted the Colorado head-coaching job.
SANDERS’ COLLEGE COACHING experience was limited to just three seasons at Jackson State. Although he had interviewed with Power 5 schools — Arkansas and Florida State talked to him in 2019, before he had coached a college game — none hired him.
When he played, Sanders attracted almost as much attention for what he said as what he did. He never filtered his thoughts as a star athlete, and so far, he’s not doing it as the head coach at Colorado.
Last month, he explained his recruiting philosophy on “The Rich Eisen Show,” saying he wants quarterback and offensive line recruits to get good grades and come from two-parent homes, but wants defensive linemen to have a “single momma” and be “on free lunch.”
Colorado declined to comment on Sanders’ remarks.
Sanders’ leadership record isn’t spotless either. Before getting into college coaching, Sanders co-founded Prime Prep Academy, a Texas-based charter school, which collapsed amid significant debt and lawsuits. According to the Dallas Morning News, the school was perceived to focus on athletics at the expense of academics.
Colorado is willing to accept the risk. After forcing out Gary Barnett in 2005, the school tried out different types of coaches: Group of 5 success stories like Hawkins and MacIntyre, an ascending coordinator in Mel Tucker, a notable alum in Jon Embree and a veteran coach with CU roots in Dorrell, who was fired in October. None of them succeeded.
“Our past 15 years led us to the point where we had to be the one to take that chance,” said Alec Roussos, Colorado’s associate athletic director for administration and chief of staff. “You win four or five games last year, maybe in your mind you’re like, ‘Hey, we’re close.’ But when you’re 1-11, you need that total overhaul to be like, ‘We need to change a lot of things.’ Not just people or personnel but processes, the way we do things, the expectation level within our program and within the athletic department.”
Colorado once had the highest expectations. From 1989 to 1996, the Buffaloes were one of the best programs in college football. They finished ranked in the AP top 10 five times — including No. 1 in 1990 — and never lower than No. 20. But after transitioning from McCartney to Rick Neuheisel in 1995, their place near the top of the sport became less secure.
Over nine seasons, beginning in 1997, the program averaged 6.9 wins per year, with a No. 9 AP finish in 2001. The nosedive started in 2005, after Hawkins replaced Barnett, and the Buffs failed to finish with a winning record over the next 10 years. Other than 2016, when a veteran team went 10-4, the team has rarely been competitive.
Last year, the Buffs were outscored 216-67 during an 0-5 start, leading to Dorrell’s firing. Colorado ranked 128th nationally in offense, 130th in defense and 125th in turnover margin.
“Where was our football program? It was at the lowest of lows,” Roussos said. “You can’t argue that last year, the product we were putting on the field was not at a level that we ever wanted to be. … Again, what is the downside of hiring Coach Prime? Because even if it ‘fails,’ 1-11 is still failing.”
Sanders has no interest in incremental improvement. He expects a dramatically different on-field product, even with so many new faces on the roster and a September schedule that includes USC and Oregon, as well as an opener at 2022 national runner-up TCU.
“We will not settle for mediocrity,” Sanders said. “You’re going to get on this program, or you’re gonna get up outta here. We plan on winning, and we don’t have time to procrastinate. We plan on winning right now.”
OF ALL THE on-camera moments Sanders has had since taking the Colorado job, none generated more attention than his first team meeting. “I’m comin’,” he repeated in his speech, a phrase that soon became a team motto. Sanders was direct about why he was there and how far the program had fallen, telling players the decadeslong “mess” Colorado fans, students and even their parents had endured would soon be cleaned up.
He explained how the roster would change, saying some players occupying seats in the room would lose them. His most memorable line: “We’ve got a few positions already taken care of, because I’m bringing my luggage with me, and it’s Louis [Vuitton]. I’m comin’.” He invited players to “jump in that [transfer] portal,” because they’d make room for better ones.
“He put everybody on notice, and I don’t know if that’s a bad thing,” George said. “We all saw that message. In our department, people saw it and said, ‘It’s time to step up.’ It was tough to hear and some people may say, ‘That’s not the way to approach it,’ but it set the tempo on how he’s going to run his program.”
Hagan, who coached and recruited some of the players in the room that night, said he has heard other new CU coaches deliver similar messages in their initial meetings. The difference was those gatherings did not have cameras present, and Sanders wasn’t the one talking.
“A little bit I thought, ‘Dang, that could be construed as rude, disrespectful,’ but at the same time, he wouldn’t be here if we didn’t need him,” Hagan said. “The truth is the truth, and he spoke the truth. The guys that got in the portal, they didn’t deserve to be here, because if you let words convince you to move on and not fight for what you believe in and what you signed up for, you shouldn’t be here.”
Shedeur Sanders, in town for his father’s introduction, attended the meeting. While addressing the team, Deion anointed Shedeur, who had been Jackson State’s starting quarterback, as Colorado’s next QB1.
Shedeur said his father’s message, while direct, was at least honest.
“I don’t like being lied to,” said Shedeur, who passed for 6,963 yards and 70 touchdowns in two seasons at Jackson State. “The players coming in, they’re coming to play, they’re not coming to sit. So if you’ve been here, you’re chilling and you think your spot is good, that’s not the case. You’ve got guys wanting to play with top talent. It’s just realistic. Nowadays, a lot of people are scared of the truth, and they don’t like hearing that.”
Deion Sanders wanted Colorado’s players to see who he is from Day 1. He had similar “no lies told” meetings regularly at Jackson State.
Sanders also doesn’t cater his messages to any player. He’s never going to hold back.
“I’m a navigational system that’s trying to get you to where you want to go,” he said. “It’s up to you if you want to listen or not. You can turn it off in the car and you may drive in circles. But we know where we’re going, we’ve been there and we know exactly how to get there.”
After a longer than expected wait, Shedeur Sanders is finally an NFL player after the Cleveland Browns traded up with the Seattle Seahawks to select him with the 144th pick in the fifth round in the 2025 NFL draft.
Sanders, whose father is Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, played two seasons each with Jackson State and Colorado before declaring for the draft. He threw for 14,327 yards and 134 touchdowns during that span. Deion famously played nine MLB seasons while being an eight-time NFL Pro Bowler. Shedeur will suit up for the Browns, topping a long list of father-son combos across professional and collegiate sports.
Here is a look at other successful father-son combos in sports history.
Multiple sports
Deion Sanders/Deion Sanders Jr./Shilo Sanders/Shedeur Sanders
Father’s accomplishments: Deion played 14 seasons in the NFL. He was drafted No. 5 overall in 1989 by the Atlanta Falcons after being named a two-time All-American at Florida State. Sanders was named a Pro Bowler eight times with 53 interceptions throughout his career and two Super Bowl wins. He also played nine seasons of professional baseball for the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. He famously played in a game for the Falcons against the Miami Dolphins, then immediately flew to Pittsburgh to dress for his baseball game with the Braves against the Pirates in the NLCS. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
How his sons followed: Deion Sanders Jr. was a two-star athlete in the 2012 class, signing with SMU as a wide receiver and kick returner. As a sophomore kick returner, Sanders was named a second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection. Shilo was the No. 287-ranked prospect in the 2019 class and signed as a cornerback with South Carolina.
Shilo and Shedeur were coached by their father during their college football seasons with the Jackson State Tigers and Colorado Buffaloes. The Browns selected Shedeur with the No. 144 pick in Round 5 in the 2025 NFL draft.
MLB
Ken Griffey Sr./Ken Griffey Jr.
Father’s accomplishments: Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in the major leagues, mostly with the Cincinnati Reds. He was part of the Big Red Machine that won World Series titles in 1975 and 1976. Griffey Sr. was a three-time All-Star and finished his career with a .296 batting average, 152 home runs and 859 RBIs. He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1980 All-Star Game and has been inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame.
How his son followed: Ken Griffey Jr. also had a long career, playing 22 seasons in the big leagues, including 13 with the Seattle Mariners and nine with Cincinnati. Griffey Jr. was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2016. He is seventh all time with 630 career home runs, was a 13-time All-Star and won 10 Gold Gloves for his play in center field. He was the American League MVP in 1997 and led the AL in home runs four times during his career.
In 1990, Griffey Sr. and Griffey Jr., both playing for the Mariners, made history when they became the first father-son duo to hit back-to-back home runs in a game.
Bobby Bonds/Barry Bonds
Father’s accomplishments: Bobby Bonds played the majority of his 14 seasons with the San Francisco Giants and became just the second player to hit 300 career home runs and steal 300 bases, joining Willie Mays. He set records for most times leading off a game with a home run in a season (11) and in a career (35) — both of which have since been broken. Bonds was a three-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner.
How his son followed: Barry Bonds played 22 seasons, mostly with the Giants, and was a seven-time National League MVP. Bonds holds the records for most career home runs, with 762, and most home runs in a season, with 73. He was a 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger Award winner and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner. Bonds tied his father for the most seasons with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases, with five. He also holds the MLB records for walks (2,558) and intentional walks (688) in a career.
Sandy Alomar/Roberto Alomar/Sandy Alomar Jr.
Father’s accomplishments: Sandy Alomar Sr. competed in 15 seasons and could play all infield and outfield positions. He was an All-Star in 1970 and played a full 162-game season that year and in 1971. Alomar Sr. was a talented bunter and aggressive on the base paths, totaling 227 stolen bases in his career, including 39 in 1971.
How his sons followed: Twelve-time All-Star Roberto Alomar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011. He won World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and 1993. He won more Gold Gloves (10) than any other second baseman and finished his 17-year career with a .300 batting average, 2,724 hits and 210 home runs. Sandy Alomar Jr. was the first rookie catcher to start an All-Star Game, and he won Rookie of the Year and a Gold Glove Award in 1990. Alomar Jr. was named an All-Star six times during his 20-year career and had a 30-game hitting streak in 1997.
Cecil Fielder/Prince Fielder
Father’s accomplishments: Cecil Fielder was a three-time All-Star and won a World Series title with the New York Yankees in 1996. In 1990, he was the first player since George Foster in 1977 to hit at least 50 home runs in a season. Fielder led the American League in home runs in 1990 and 1991 and in RBIs from 1990 to ’92. He hit 319 career home runs, recorded 1,008 RBIs and was a two-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award.
How his son followed: Fielder was the youngest player (23) to hit 50 home runs in a season. Prince Fielder was a six-time All-Star and won the Home Run Derby twice — once as an NL All-Star and once as an AL All-Star. He totaled 319 career home runs, the same number as his father, and drove in 1,028 runs. Fielder was a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and the AL Comeback Player of the Year in 2015.
Cecil and Prince Fielder are the only father-son duo to each hit 50 home runs in a season.
Vladimir Guerrero/Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Father’s accomplishments: Guerrero spent 16 seasons playing in the MLB for the Montreal Expos, Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers and the Baltimore Orioles. He was a nine-time All-Star, the 2004 American League MVP and an eight-time winner of the Silver Slugger award. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018 and finished his career with 2,590 hits.
How his son followed: Guerrero Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 and made his major league debut in 2019. He hit 48 home runs in the 2021 season and became the second father-son duo to hit 40 home runs in a season, joining Prince and Cecil Fielder in accomplishing that feat. Guerrero has since been a four-time All-Star and a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner for the Blue Jays.
NBA
LeBron James/Bronny James/Bryce James
Father’s accomplishments: LeBron James is still going strong in his 22nd NBA season. He’s the league’s all-time scoring leader and eclipsed 40,000 points last season. LeBron has won four NBA championships and made an NBA-record 20 straight All-Star appearances.
How his sons followed: The Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James with the No. 55 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, pairing him with his dad, LeBron, in the NBA. The two appeared in a game together in October 2024, becoming the first father-son duo to do so in NBA history. Bronny is expected to split time between the Lakers and their G-League affiliate. Bryce, LeBron’s youngest son, committed to Arizona in January as part of the Wildcats’ 2025 class.
Dell Curry/Stephen Curry/Seth Curry
Father’s accomplishments: Dell Curry retired as the Charlotte Hornets‘ career scoring leader (9,839 points) and ranked first in 3-pointers made (929). Curry was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 1994 and averaged 11.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in his 16-year career.
How his sons followed: Stephen Curry has led the Golden State Warriors to four NBA championships and been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player twice. Curry is a 10-time All-Star and was the NBA scoring champion in 2016 and 2021. He holds the NBA record for most made 3-pointers in a regular season, with 402, and most consecutive regular-season games with a made 3-pointer, with 268. Seth Curry was a two-time NBA D-League All-Star and has spent time with several NBA teams. He averaged 12.8 points over 70 games in 2016-17 with the Dallas Mavericks.
Doc Rivers/Austin Rivers
Father’s accomplishments: As a player, Doc Rivers was known for his defense, but he averaged a double-double during the 1986-87 season, with 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. He was an NBA All-Star in 1988 and played with four teams during his 13-year career. Rivers was named Coach of the Year in 2000 with the Orlando Magic and led the Boston Celtics to an NBA title as their coach in 2008. He was the head coach of the LA Clippers from 2013-2020 and Philadelphia 76ers from 2020-2023. He was announced as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach in January 2024.
How his son followed: In 2015, Austin Rivers was traded to the Clippers and became the first NBA player to play for his father. Rivers has averaged 9.2 points per game in his seven-year career, including 15.1 PPG in 2017-18 with the Clippers. He then played for the Wizards, Rockets, Knicks, Nuggets and the Timberwolves.
Mychal Thompson/Klay Thompson
Father’s accomplishments: Mychal Thompson, the No. 1 pick in the 1978 NBA draft, won back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1987 and ’88. Thompson was on the All-Rookie team in 1979 and went on to average 13.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in his career. He averaged a double-double in 1981-82, with 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game.
How his son followed: Klay Thompson won four NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors. Mychal and Klay Thompson became just the fourth father-son duo to each win an NBA title as a player and the first to each win back-to-back championships. Klay is a five-time All-Star, was named to the All-Rookie team in 2012 and won the 3-point contest in 2016. He holds the NBA playoff record for most 3-pointers made in a game, with 11.
Joe ‘Jellybean’ Bryant/Kobe Bryant
Father’s accomplishments: Joe “Jellybean” Bryant played eight seasons in the NBA before heading to Europe and playing seven seasons with teams in Italy. He scored 53 points in a game twice during the 1987-88 season with Pistoia. Bryant played into his 50s, suiting up for the American Basketball Association.
How his son followed: Five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant is fourth in career scoring, with 33,643 points. He played 20 seasons for the Lakers and was named an All-Star 18 times. Bryant was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2008 and the Finals MVP in 2009 and ’10. He was the NBA scoring champion in 2006 and ’07 and was named to the All-NBA first team 11 times and the All-Defensive first team nine times. Kobe had both his No. 8 and his No. 24 retired by the Lakers.
NFL
Archie Manning/Peyton Manning/Eli Manning
Father’s accomplishments: Archie Manning was a quarterback in the NFL for 13 seasons, mostly with the New Orleans Saints. Despite never leading a team to a winning record, Manning made the Pro Bowl in 1978 and ’79. He threw for 125 touchdowns and rushed for 18 during his career. He has been inducted into the Saints’ Ring of Honor and the Saints’ Hall of Fame.
How his sons followed: Peyton Manning was the first pick in the 1998 NFL draft and holds the NFL records for career passing yards (71,940) and passing touchdowns (539). He is the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl for two franchises. A 14-time Pro Bowler, Manning was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player five times and a first-team All-Pro seven times.
Eli Manning was the first pick in the 2004 NFL draft and led the New York Giants to two Super Bowl titles, earning Super Bowl MVP honors both times. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, ranks sixth in passing yards in NFL history and started 210 consecutive games from 2004 to 2017, the second-longest streak by a quarterback in NFL history.
Howie Long/Chris Long/Kyle Long
Father’s accomplishments: Eight-time Pro Bowl selection Howie Long played his entire 13-year career with the Raiders organization. The defensive end helped the Raiders win the Super Bowl in 1984, and he was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985. Long finished his career with 84 sacks and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He also made 10 fumble recoveries and two interceptions during his time in the NFL.
How his sons followed: Chris Long was the No. 2 pick in the 2008 NFL draft and won back-to-back Super Bowls — with the New England Patriots in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018. The defensive end recorded 70 sacks in his 11-year career.
Kyle Long, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, was a guard for the Chicago Bears. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2014 and made the All-Rookie team in 2013.
He returned from his 2019 retirement with a one-year stint with the Kansas City Chiefs for the 2021 season but did not play due to injuries.
Clay Matthews Jr./Clay Matthews III/Casey Matthews
Father’s accomplishments: Clay Matthews Jr. played 19 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Cleveland Browns. He appeared in 278 games, the most by a linebacker, and recorded 1,561 tackles, 69.5 sacks and 16 interceptions in his career. Matthews was a four-time Pro Bowler and was first-team All-Pro in 1984, recording 12 sacks that season.
How his sons followed: Clay Matthews III, a six-time Pro Bowler, helped the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl title after the 2010 season. The linebacker was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 and totaled 91.5 sacks, 17 forced fumbles and six interceptions in his 11-year career.
Linebacker Casey Matthews played from 2011 to ’14 for the Philadelphia Eagles and recorded 2.5 sacks.
Christian McCaffrey/Ed McCaffrey
Father’s accomplishments: Ed McCaffrey’s 13-year NFL career included three Super Bowl wins and one Pro Bowl appearance. He earned 7,422 receiving yards and notched 55 receiving touchdowns, a majority of which came with the Denver Broncos. Ed McCaffrey played a key role in the Broncos winning back-to-back championships in 1997 and 1998.
How his son followed: A highly touted recruit out of Stanford, Christian McCaffrey has lived up to the hype in the NFL. In his eighth season, the running back has rushed for 6,224 career yards and 52 touchdowns, including a league-leading 1,459 yards in 2023, when he earned Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr./Jeremiah Trotter
Father’s accomplishments: Drafted by the Eagles in the third round, Jeremiah Trotter suited up for the franchise in eight of his 11 NFL seasons, starting at middle linebacker for the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and member of the All-Pro team once. Trotter recorded 723 solo tackles and nine interceptions during his career.
How his son followed: The Eagles also selected Trotter Jr., this time in the fifth round. Hailing from the Clemson Tigers, Trotter had 25 combined tackles in his first season. He appeared in Philadelphia’s Super Bowl LIX victory, recording one tackle.
NHL
Bobby Hull/Brett Hull
Father’s accomplishments: Bobby Hull received the Hart Memorial Trophy twice as the NHL’s most valuable player and earned the Art Ross Trophy three times as the NHL’s leading points scorer. The left wing won the Stanley Cup in 1961 with the Chicago Blackhawks and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983. Hull led the NHL in goals seven times and was the second-leading goal scorer in NHL history, with 610, when he retired. Hull won back-to-back All-Star Game MVP awards in 1970 and ’71.
How his son followed: Brett Hull scored 741 goals in his career, the fourth-highest total in NHL history. The right wing won Stanley Cups in 1999 with the Dallas Stars (including scoring the championship-winning goal) and in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. Hull scored at least 50 goals in five consecutive seasons, and his 86 goals in 1990-91 are the third most in a season in NHL history. He was named the NHL’s MVP that season and received the Hart Memorial Trophy. Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, joining his father to become the first father-son duo in the Hall.
Keith Tkachuk/Matthew Tkachuk/Brady Tkachuk
Father’s accomplishments: Keith was selected 19th overall in the 1990 NHL draft and played for 18 years with four different teams. He finished his career with 527 goals and 1,065 points. At the time that he scored his 500th goal, he was just the fourth American-born player to achieve that milestone and was the sixth American-born player with 1,000 points.
How his sons followed: Matthew was selected sixth in the 2016 NHL draft by the Calgary Flames but has since been traded to the Florida Panthers, where he helped lead the team to a 2024 Stanley Cup title.
Brady was taken with the fourth pick in the 2018 draft by the Ottawa Senators. He was named the team’s captain in 2021 and has scored 171 regular-season goals in his career.
Auto racing
Dale Earnhardt/Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Father’s accomplishments: Dale Earnhardt won 76 Winston Cup races, including the 1998 Daytona 500. Earnhardt claimed seven NASCAR Winston Cup championships, tying Richard Petty for the most all time. It was 22 years before Jimmie Johnson matched the accomplishment in 2016. Earnhardt died as a result of a collision on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 and was posthumously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame inaugural class in 2010.
How his son followed: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won 26 Cup series races, including the Daytona 500 twice (2004, 2014). He had 260 top-10 finishes in Cup races in his career. Junior was a fan favorite, winning the Most Popular Driver award 15 times. He was the Busch Series champion in 1998 and ’99 before being named NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 2000. He is retired and a broadcaster now.
Next generation
Gilbert Arenas/Alijah Arenas
Alijah Arenas, a five-star, 6-foot-6 guard from Southern California, announced his commitment to USC in January 2025. He picked the Trojans over his father’s alma mater, the Arizona Wildcats, while also receiving offers from the Kansas Jayhawks, Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats. He reclassified in December from the class of 2026 to 2025.
Carmelo Anthony/Kiyan Anthony
A four-star shooting guard from New York, Kiyan Anthony announced his commitment to Syracuse in November 2024. Kiyan follows in the footsteps of his father, Carmelo, who averaged 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds across a 19-season NBA career. Carmelo spent a season at Syracuse, leading the Orange to the 2003 national championship.
Dikembe Mutombo/Ryan Mutombo:
Ryan followed in his father’s footsteps and played for the Georgetown Hoyas as a 7-foot-2 center. He transferred to play for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets after three seasons with the Hoyas.
Penny Hardaway/Jayden Hardaway/Ashton Hardaway:
Both Jayden and Ashton played for their father with Memphis. Jayden is a guard who averaged 3.1 points per game in the 2023-24 season, while Ashton averaged 2.3.
Dajuan Wagner/D.J. Wagner:
D.J. spent the 2023-24 season with the Kentucky Wildcats, averaging 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game. He transferred to the Arkansas Razorbacks after the season.
Dennis Rodman/DJ Rodman:
DJ was a 6-foot-6 forward for USC. He averaged 8.4 points per game and made 36.2% of his 3-point shots in the 2023-24 season for the Trojans. He went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft.
Shaquille O’Neal/Shaqir O’Neal:
Shaqir is a 6-foot-8 forward at Florida A&M. He averaged 1.8 points per game in the 2023-24 season for Texas Southern.
Peja Stojakovic/Andrej Stojakovic:
Andrej was a McDonald’s All-American out of high school before committing to the Stanford Cardinal. He averaged 7.8 points per game as a freshman for the Cardinal. He transferred to UC Berkeley after the 2023-24 season.
Jerry Rice/Brenden Rice:
Brenden transferred to the USC Trojans from the Colorado Buffaloes prior to the 2022 season and led the Trojans with 12 touchdown receptions in 2023. He had 791 yards receiving on the year and was selected by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2024 NFL draft.
Marvin Harrison/Marvin Harrison Jr.:
Harrison Jr. won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best wide receiver and finished the 2023 season with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was selected No. 4 by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL draft as one of the best receiver prospects available.
Frank Gore Sr./Frank Gore Jr.:
Gore Jr. was No. 32 among all FBS running backs in rush yards in 2023 with 1,131. He had 10 rushing touchdowns and averaged 4.9 yards per rush. Gore Jr. went undrafted in 2024 but signed with the Buffalo Bills.
Emmitt Smith/E.J. Smith:
E.J. had a slow start to his collegiate career with just 587 rush yards and five touchdowns in four seasons with Stanford. He transferred to Texas A&M in 2024.
Honorable mentions
Ray Boone/Bob Boone/Bret Boone/Aaron Boone; Felipe Alou/Moises Alou; Tom Gordon/Dee Gordon/Nick Gordon; Rick Barry/Brent Barry/Jon Barry; Bill Walton/Luke Walton; Larry Nance/Larry Nance Jr.; Tim Hardaway/Tim Hardaway Jr.; Bruce Matthews/Jake Matthews/Kevin Matthews; Jackie Slater/Matthew Slater; Gordie Howe/Mark Howe; J.P. Parise/Zach Parise; Peter Stastny/Paul Stastny; Lee Petty/Richard Petty/Kyle Petty; Mario Andretti/Michael Andretti/Jeff Andretti/Marco Andretti; Ken Norton Sr./Ken Norton Jr.; Calvin Hill/Grant Hill; Peter Schmeichel/Kasper Schmeichel
Two years after the five-star quartet of quarterbacks in the ESPN 300 were wowing fans and garnering “next big thing” buzz for their abilities, reality has hit harder than the most ferocious blitzing linebackers.
As college football’s spring transfer portal closed Friday, Malachi Nelson, Jackson Arnold and Dante Moore are looking to ignite their careers at schools different from their initial ones. Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is the only one from that 2023 group who has stayed with his first choice.
All four quarterbacks were ranked in the top five of the ESPN 300 that year.
“It’s really just a sign of the times,” ESPN’s director of football recruiting Billy Tucker said. “That class wasn’t any less special because they transferred. It’s just that the culture now is about instant gratification. I don’t know that what happened with the 2023 quarterbacks isn’t the norm.”
Nelson was the top ranked prospect in 2023 and began his collegiate career with the USC Trojans.
As a freshman, he served as a backup to Caleb Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner. Nelson threw only three passes that season.
Nelson transferred to Boise State, where he lost out on the starting spot to Maddux Madsen, who led the team to a 12-2 record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff.
Again, Nelson barely saw playing time, going 12-of-17 for just 66 yards last season before reentering the portal.
In January, he reportedly turned down more lucrative offers to join Scotty Walden at UTEP, where the path to being a starter seems like a forgone conclusion.
Moore checked in at No. 2 in 2023 and began his career at UCLA, where he struggled to find a rhythm in limited playing time. In nine games with the Bruins, Moore threw 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions and got sacked 16 times. He transferred to Oregon in December 2023 — after a year sitting behind star quarterback Dillon Gabriel in 2024. Moore appears to be the heir apparent in Eugene though it isn’t guaranteed.
“For most high-profile prospects these days, and certainly quarterbacks, the path to the starting spot needs to be clear by spring of their freshman year,” Tucker said. “And if it’s not then there’s a really good chance they’ll leave.”
The opposite happened for Arnold at Oklahoma, but it still wasn’t enough.
The 6-foot-1, 211-pounder was ranked No. 3 in 2023 and won Gatorade National Player of the Year as a high school senior. By his sophomore season in Norman, he earned the starting position.
Arnold amassed 1,421 passing yards, 444 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns in a dismal 6-6 season that saw him get demoted and promoted. The tumultuous experience prompted Arnold to transfer to Auburn in December. His path to outright starter seems imminent.
Then there’s Manning, who checked in at No. 5 overall in 2023.
Being the grandson of New Orleans Saints legend Archie Manning and nephew of Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch summed up his thought process about remaining at Texas in five words in a recent news conference, simply saying, “Sometimes it’s worth the wait.”
In two years in Austin, Manning has appeared in nine games, two of which he started.
Last season, he went 61-of-90 passing for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed for 108 yards and four more scores.
Now, the stage is set for him to lead the Longhorns during the 2025 season.
“This used to be the norm,” Tucker said of Manning waiting his turn. “You wait the two years and you’re starting as a junior. Now, even if you’re getting paid, it’s not enough if you’re not starting. Any adversity and the guys are leaving. It’s just the current landscape in college football.”
Tucker, who also serves as director of the Under Armour All-America Game, said he would caution current and future stars about using the transfer portal entry as a knee-jerk reaction.
“Look at Georgia, a lot of their defensive guys are one-year starters and then they’re in the NFL first round,” Tucker said. “It’s not like you need three years of proven production to make it. That NIL money could get multiplied by at least five in my opinion. If you can stay the course and have one to two good years at a proven program, you’ll more than make up any money you could’ve lost in NIL. It’s more about the people guiding these players not being as informed as they need to be. It stinks, but until there are rules to govern the current landscape, we’ll continue to see this.”
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