College Football

The brief Deion Sanders era has already been profitable for his new school.

According to Doug Greenberg of Front Office Sports, "sales of officially licensed Colorado products are up 700 percent year-over-year since Sanders was first hired on Dec. 3."

In particular, Colorado has been selling T-shirts and sweatshirts with "Coach Prime" written on the front and a copy of Sanders' signature on the back.

Sanders, who led Jackson State to a 27-6 record across his three seasons and two bowl appearances, will be tasked with transforming a football program that has only had one winning season since 2005.

The jury's out on whether Sanders can work his magic for the Buffaloes. But it's very clear that there is major excitement about his hire.

Michigan running back Blake Corum hasn't made a final decision on whether to return to the Wolverines next season or declare for the 2023 NFL draft.

Corum told ESPN's Adam Schefter that he's "50-50" and still weighing his options:

Corum also said recently that he'll come to a decision "sooner than later," per Angelique Chengelis of The Detroit News. The deadline for players to declare for the 2023 draft is Jan. 16.

The 22-year-old is in his third season with the Wolverines. In 12 games this season, he rushed for 1,463 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also caught 11 passes for 80 yards and one score.

However, Corum's year was cut short after he underwent season-ending knee surgery following an injury in a Nov. 19 matchup against Illinois. He was widely considered a Heisman Trophy candidate before being sidelined.

During his time at Michigan, Corum has rushed for 2,489 yards and 31 touchdowns in 30 games, in addition to catching 40 passes for 294 yards and two scores.

Corum won't get the chance to help Michigan compete for the national title in the College Football Playoff because of his injury. The No. 2 Wolverines will begin their playoff journey against No. 3 TCU in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31.

If Corum thinks Michigan can get back to the CFP in 2023, that could also play into his decision. If he decides to return to Ann Arbor for another season, it could also help his draft stock.

However, Corum is still expected to be one of the top picks at his position in the 2023 draft despite his injury.

Some of the other top running backs who have or are expected to declare for the 2023 NFL draft include Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Evans and Mohamed Ibrahim. Robinson has been viewed as a potential first-round pick, which has become rare for running backs of late.

University of Pittsburgh head football coach Pat Narduzzi ripped the state of the NCAA transfer portal, saying North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye was offered $5 million by two schools to transfer.

"It's a sad, sad deal," Narduzzi said Tuesday on 93.7 The Fan.

Maye has not entered the transfer portal, so any team contacting him would be violating NCAA rules. However, those rules have become increasingly difficult for the NCAA to enforce amid the proliferation of name, image and likeness deals for players.

Narduzzi did not name either of the schools that allegedly attempted to tamper with Maye, the reigning ACC Player of the Year. Tar Heels coach Mack Brown previously accused teams of tampering with his star quarterback.

"I can't say that [who they are], and don't ask Drake," Brown told reporters. "You know who they are. Just look at all the ones who are getting all the top recruits."

There is a simple way to solve this issue: Make athletes full-time employees and sign them to contracts that legally prohibit contact from other schools. While it's unlikely a widespread collective bargaining agreement would be reached, schools could structure player contracts with restrictive buyouts interested schools must pay if they want to poach a top star.

It's worth noting Narduzzi was under contract as Michigan State's defensive coordinator when he accepted the Pitt head coaching job. Yet, there was no outcry for a coach leaving when more money and a better opportunity came along. Brown didn't hesitate to leave North Carolina during his first tenure in 1997 when the big money came rolling in from Texas.

There are fair criticisms of the Wild West structure of NIL pacts and backdoor transfer deals. But those issues were born from decades of the NCAA—and its member schools—prohibiting players from earning money while football and college basketball blossomed into billion-dollar businesses.

Narduzzi is making significantly more than $5 million per year and has delivered precisely one 10-win season in eight years. Brown is also making $5 million per year and is having his best season since returning to North Carolina in 2019 thanks in large part to Maye, who has a salary of $0 this season.

There is not much logic behind the complaints of these coaches beyond their being used to the old way of doing business, which saw them reap the entirety of the rewards and power while players scraped by on relative crumbs and were vilified for stepping out of the system (see: Bush, Reggie).

The excitement of national signing day is usually reserved for February, but the impending early signing period is sure to capture the attention of college football fans.

This year's early signing period will begin on Wednesday, making for a busy week. While not every unsigned prospect will be signing their NLIs early, there's still a number of notable players set to make some important decisions. The drama of potential flips and commitment switches adds even more intrigue.

Here are some predictions for where some of the top recruits will land this week.

Alabama Will Land Hometown Tandem of Jaquavious Russaw and James Smith

Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama, boasts a pair of top defensive recruits in linebacker Jaquavious Russaw and defensive tackle James Smith. The duo has maintained for a while that they are a package deal with the intention of committing to the same school, and there's a strong chance that they decide to stay home.

Alabama is already putting together an impressive 2023 recruiting class. The addition of Smith and Russaw would make it a historic haul for head coach Nick Saban.

Smith is ranked as the No. 2 defensive lineman in the nation by 247Sports' composite, while Russaw is ranked as the No. 3 edge-rusher. Smith earned an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game, which will be played on Jan. 3.

The Crimson Tide have been known for their seemingly never-ending cycle of talented defensive players. Smith and Russaw will have the chance to develop into NFL-caliber prospects by choosing to spend the next three or four years under Saban.

Top Offensive Tackle Kadyn Proctor Will Flip His Commitment from Iowa

Kadyn Proctor is an Iowa native and the No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation, per 247Sports' composite. That formula indicates that he's destined to be the next great anchor on the Iowa Hawkeyes offensive line, but things have changed in recent weeks.

Proctor, who committed to Iowa in June, took a visit to Alabama this past Friday. He also has been linked to Oregon throughout the fall. To add even more to the mix, he received an 11th-hour offer from new Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.

At 6'7" and 330 pounds, there's no surprise that Proctor is one of the most coveted players in the nation. He has the traits to be a future NFL first-round draft pick.

Alabama, in particular, is worth keeping an eye on when it comes to Proctor. The Crimson Tide had five offensive linemen enter the transfer portal since it opened on Dec. 5, so they will need to replace some depth. Nick Saban will be working hard to secure one of the top players in the 2023 class.

Coach Prime Will Make His Presence Felt for Colorado

In his three years at Jackson State, Deion Sanders has proved to be a savvy recruiter. After being hired as head coach at Colorado, there's no question that Coach Prime will do his best to continue his recruiting success.

Sanders has wasted no time in his short time with the Buffaloes. He already flipped former Notre Dame running back commit Dylan Edwards, who was 2021 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Kansas. This past weekend, he hosted edge-rusher Tausili Akana, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Utah, as well as athlete Malachi Coleman, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Nebraska.

Earlier this month, Sanders also boldly made an offer to top offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, who is already committed to Iowa. After his historic recruitment of 2022 top prospect Travis Hunter away from Florida State, anything is possible when it comes to Coach Prime.

Speaking of Hunter, he intends to transfer from Jackson State, and he has not made his decision as to where he's headed. There is no doubt that Sanders will also be looking at the transfer portal to improve the Colorado roster, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Hunter and others follow him to Boulder.