Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes nearly lost one of their top assistants, defensive coordinator Robert Livingston, to the NFL this offseason. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Livingston was a serious candidate for the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator position,

The Colorado Buffaloes will enter 2025 in a new era, as stars Travis Hunter, Sheduer Sanders, and others will now be moving on to the NFL. Losing several players who were pivotal in their 9-4 season last year,

The New Orleans Saints considered college options for defensive coordinator before hiring Brandon Staley, including a surprising Colorado coach:

So far, Sanders has avoided creating a NFL media firestorm like the one that erupted 21 years ago. Word leaked then that Manning sought to avoid the Chargers, who held the first pick, in favor of the Giants, who had the fourth pick. After his career, Manning said the Chargers went public with his private request.