Shedeur Sanders Reveals Over 30 College Football Programs Wanted Him But He Trusted Only One Coach
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Before Shedeur Sanders ever became a Jackson State star or followed his father to Colorado, he was a highly recruited quarterback trying to figure out where his career should begin. The choice was not exactly simple. He was coming out of Trinity Christian in Cedar Hill, Texas, and plenty of major programs were interested in him. However, his mind was focused on only one coach in the country. And it wasn’t his father, Deion Sanders.
“I don’t know, like 30-something,” Shedeur said about his high school offersto Overtime on August 25. “What was important to me was really the coach. The only coach I really trusted. Like with my career, ’cause your career is on the line, was Willie Taggart. So, wherever he was, I was gonna be at. He was at FAU at the time, and he gave me my first offer when he was at Oregon.”
Shedeur eventually committed to Florida Atlantic in July 2020. At the time, Taggart was trying to build the Owls into a serious Group of Five program, and Sanders was one of the biggest recruiting wins in the school’s history. Shedeur came out of high school as a four-star QB and one of the better prospects in the 2021 class. He had plenty of Power Five options, but he chose FAU and Willie Taggart.
The Cleveland QB’s trust in Taggart can also be explained by how Coach Prime sees the former FAU head coach. When Taggart took over as head coach of Florida State in 2017, Sanders, an FSU legend, publicly backed the move. At the time, there were even rumors that Deion Sanders might end up joining Taggart at FSU as his defensive backs coach. What fueled the rumors was Coach Prime’s presence at FSU’s practices.
When Deion Sanders joined Colorado, he even recruited Taggart to be a part of his coaching staff. The Colorado head coach announced the move, but it never materialized. Taggart later joined the Ravens. Shedeur could have started his college career under Taggart, but that plan did not last long.
When Deion Sanders took the Jackson State job in September 2020, Shedeur’s mind changed. He had been committed to FAU, but by November, Shedeur had flipped to Jackson State. There was not much to overthink. Deion was now his coach, and Shedeur already knew the person he wanted running his career. He chose Jackson State, and that move set him on the path that eventually took him to Colorado and the NFL.
Sanders arrived at Jackson State as one of the most highly rated recruits ever to choose an HBCU. ESPN had him as the No. 60 overall player in the 2021 class.
He did not spend long proving that the level of competition would not hold him back. As a freshman, he made an immediate impact at Jackson State, taking home the Jerry Rice Award after his freshman season. A year later, he was named the top player in HBCU football with the Deacon Jones Trophy. That success eventually followed him to Colorado. As for Taggart?
Taggart went from Oregon to Florida State, where he was fired during the 2019 season. He had a 9-12 overall record at the Noles. Taggart then landed at Florida Atlantic, the school where Shedeur Sanders had originally planned to play. Taggart later joined the NFL as the Baltimore Ravens’ running backs coach in 2023. Now, he is the Giants’ RBs coach, starting from the 2026 season. And Shedeur just got beaten for the QB1 job by DeShaun Watson at the Cleveland Browns.
This year, he will serve as a deputy to the $230 million QB in Cleveland. He has adapted well to Todd Monken’s schemes and improved his pocket presence during the camp. Those negative yardage numbers might not be there if he gets a chance.
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