Inside Deion Sanders' incredible football dynasty with NFL legend having two sons star for him at Colorado Buffaloes
Charlotte Adams
Published Sep 24, 2026
NFL legend Deion Sanders has made Colorado Football a family business.
Two of the Buffaloes head coach's sons – Shedeur and Shilo – are key players on the college football team.
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Meanwhile, Sanders' eldest son Deion Jr. has helped build a huge audience for the program through digital content.
In just a matter of weeks, the Sanders family has completely transformed Colorado from being an after-thought in college football into the hottest ticket in the sport.
The Sanders' presence at the university does not end there – the Hall of Famer's youngest daughter Shelomi is also part of the women's basketball team.
Here is a look at Sanders' incredible football dynasty, which includes a potential Heisman Trophy winner.
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Deion Sanders Jr
Sanders has two children with his first wife, Carolyn Chambers – a daughter, Deiondra, 31, and a son, Deion Jr., 29.
Deion Jr. followed his father's footsteps into football, playing wide receiver at Marcus High School in Dallas, Texas, and Atlanta Sports Academy in Georgia.
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He eventually played college football at Southern Methodist University in Texas for three seasons, from 2013 until 2015, after fielding offers from Houston and North Texas.
Deion Jr. made headlines in 2013 when he posted a photo of himself in his dorm room with luxurious Versace bedding.
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Later that year, the freshman's meeting with Lil' Wayne at the rapper's concert was investigated over compliance issues.
Under NCAA rules, it is illegal for a player to use any type of athletic connection to receive a benefit.
SMU sports information director Brad Sutton said: "We don't expect to find anything amiss, but it's our responsibility to check stuff like this out."
Sanders, who is a friend of Lil' Wayne, called the investigation "stupid."
“My son is at SMU. He just called me – this is how stupid my life is – he said the NCAA is investigating him now because I just took him to a Lil’ Wayne concert," Sanders said.
"Lil’ Wayne is one of my best friends and they’re trying to say that they got into the concert because they’re SMU football players. That’s how stupid the stuff is.”
In 2014, Deion Jr. was named to the All-ACC First Team as a return specialist.
He recorded 759 return yards in just 10 games, the seventh-best season in school history, including a school-record 203-yard performance at UCF.
The following year, Sanders complained about his son's lack of playing time.
"It's hard for me to understand how the only kid that was an all-conference kid on the team as a returner doesn't start off returning," Sanders said.
"I don't know how that works."
After retiring from football in 2016, Deion Jr. moved into fashion, launching his streetwear clothing brand Well Off.
He is now a digital content creator for Sanders and Colorado's football team.
His videos, which have gained hundreds of thousands of views, have played a role in growing the Colorado brand.
“Ninety-nine percent of [parents] told me, 'Hey man, we watch the videos every day,’” Deion Jr. told USA Today.
“You could have the best product on Earth, but if people don’t know about it, you’re not going to sell it.
"It’s showing how good of a product it is. It’s showing how great Boulder actually is.”
Shedeur
Colorado quarterback Shedeur is considered the most-gifted athlete among the Sanders children and has emerged as an early contender for the Heisman Trophy.
Shedeur is also competing for the coveted college football trophy with Travis Hunter, a gifted two-way player.
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Having played at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound quarterback initially committed to Florida Atlantic in 2020.
But after Sanders became the head coach at Jackson State, he decided he could not pass up the opportunity to play with his father and transferred schools.
Shedeur played two seasons at Jackson State, securing school records for season passing touchdowns (40), and completions (344), and is second for passing yards (3,752).
Jackson State won two SWAC championships and made their first two appearances in the Celebration Bowl.
Shedeur gained numerous individual accolades, including Jerry Rice FCS National Freshman of the Year.
He has gone to a new level at Colorado, putting up 451.5 yards per game, six touchdowns and no interceptions through the team's first two games of the season.
A key reason for his success is his relationship with his dad, which includes their ritual pre-game walk.
"We've been doing (it) for a long time, for years, so when we go down from the 40-yard line to the goal line I'm dad," Sanders said.
"When we touch that goal line and come back, I'm the coach. It always ends with, ‘Let 'em know.'
"I want them to know our last name when we walk off this darn field. Who are you? He'll say, ‘I'm a Sanders.'"
Shedeur has already been predicted to be a top first-round Draft pick in 2024, should he declare for the NFL.
"Having watched Sanders' tape from 2021 and 2022 and the improvement he has shown this season, I see future top-10 pick potential. He's that good," ESPN college football analyst Mel Kiper said.
"He's only a true junior, which means he could return to school next season and compete to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 class."
Shilo
The 23-year-old safety began his collegiate career at South Carolina in 2019 and 2020, before spending the past two seasons with his father and younger brother at Jackson State.
At the Tigers, Shilo played in 20 games, totaling 59 tackles with five interceptions and two forced fumbles, earning a second-team All-SWAC selection in 2021.
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Shilo joined his dad and brother at Colorado and had a bright start against Texas Christian University.
He logged 10 tackles, nine of which were solo, to tie with Colorado linebacker Marvin Ham II for the team and game-high.
Due to his position in the team, Shilo has far less of a profile than Shedeur but he has the potential to become a force in his own right.
“I feel like everything I have been through like coming from South Carolina, moving to safety, that was really my time to learn defense and concepts,” he said.
“I thank the coaches there who taught me the basics of safety. I took that to Jackson State.
"Got my swag down there and here, I just want to put everything together.”
Shilo has two more years of eligibility after graduating from Jackson State.
Shelomi
Sanders' youngest child Shelomi made a name for herself as a basketball player at Jackson State in 2022.
The 5-foot-7 guard appeared in just two games at Jackson State and played a total of nine minutes.
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In January, she joined her dad at Colorado as a walk-on player and redshirt freshman.
Colorado women’s basketball coach JR Payne warned Shelomi and fellow new arrival Mikayla Johnson would need a “lot of training” to get up to speed.
“There’s not really time at this point in the season to get a lot of those type of reps [in team settings],” Payne said.
“It’s such a huge physical transition to the level and amount of training that we’re doing in the weight room.
"And, they’ll get enough basketball with the group that they will understand expectations and how we operate, how we do things.”
Shelomi is clearly relishing the new experience both on and off the court,
“I’m adapting to everything. It’s pretty cool out here," she said.
"Everyone’s really welcoming – coaches, my teammates – so I’m adjusting fine.
"I love it out here. It’s like a breath of fresh air, for real.
"Where we are, it’s walking distance towards stores and everything.
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"So, I’m just out walking and I’m really enjoying Boulder.
"And the people, everyone’s just so nice and welcoming.”
