Daniels, a fifth-year quarterback, won the Heisman and AP player of the year honors last week after accounting for 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards of offense this season.

He was joined in the backfield by Missouri’s Cody Schrader, a sixth-year running back and former Division II player who leads the nation at 124.9 rushing yards per game.

The other sixth-year player of the AP first team was North Carolina State linebacker Payton Wilson, who won the Chuck Bednarik Award as national defensive player of the year.

Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe, edge rushers Laiatu Latu from UCLA and Jalen Green from James Madison, and Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat were the other fifth-year players to make the first team.

College players who were in school during the 2020 pandemic season were granted an extra year of eligibility and they are still making their presence felt around the country.

Eleven more fifth-year players made the second and third teams and there were eight sixth-year players selected to those teams, including Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., the Heisman runner up. Penix and the second-ranked Huskies face No. 3 Texas in the College Football Playoff’s Sugar Bowl semifinal on Jan. 1.

Colorado Buffaloes sophomore receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter was named to the first team. Colorado State junior tight end Dallin Holker made the second team and Air Force senior safety Trey Taylor earned a third-team nod.

Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt and Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. were selected first-team All-Americans for the second straight year. Beebe and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers moved up from second team last season to first this year.

No. 5 Alabama led all teams with three first-team All-Americans, all on the defensive side: cornerbacks Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold and linebacker Dallas Turner.

The Crimson Tide, seeded fourth in the College Football Playoff, faces No. 1 Michigan in the Rose Bowl semifinal on Jan. 1.

First-team All-Americans (by conference)

• SEC — 9.
• Big Ten — 6.
• Pac-12 — 4.
• Big 12 — 3.
• ACC — 1.
• MAC — 1.
• Sun Belt — 1.
• Independent — 2.

The AP All-America team was selected by a panel of 18 college Top 25 poll voters.

First team

Quarterback — Jayden Daniels, fifth-year, LSU.

Running backs — Ollie Gordon II, second-year, Oklahoma State; Cody Schrader, sixth-year, Missouri.

Tackles — Joe Alt, third-year, Notre Dame; Olu Fashanu, fourth-year, Penn State.

Guards — Cooper Beebe, fifth-year, Kansas State; Zak Zinter, fourth-year, Michigan.

Center — Jackson Powers-Johnson, third-year, Oregon.

Tight end — Brock Bowers, third-year, Georgia.

Wide receivers — Malik Nabers, third-year, LSU; Marvin Harrison Jr., third-year, Ohio State; Rome Odunze, fourth-year, Washington.

All-purpose player — Travis Hunter, second-year, Colorado.

Kicker — Graham Nicholson, third-year, Miami (Ohio).

Edge rushers — Laiatu Latu, fifth-year, UCLA; Jalen Green, fifth-year, James Madison.

Interior linemen — T’Vondre Sweat, fifth-year, Texas; Jer’Zahn Newton, fourth-year, Illinois.

Linebackers — Payton Wilson, sixth-year, North Carolina State; Edgerrin Cooper, fourth-year, Texas A&M; Dallas Turner, third-year, Alabama.

Cornerbacks — Cooper DeJean, third-year, Iowa; Kool-Aid McKinstry, third-year, Alabama.

Safeties — Malaki Starks, second-year, Georgia; Xavier Watts, fourth-year, Notre Dame.

Defensive back — Terrion Arnold, third-year, Alabama.

Punter — Tory Taylor, fourth-year, Iowa.

Second team

Quarterback — Michael Penix Jr., sixth-year, Washington.

Running backs — Audric Estime, third-year, Notre Dame; Omarion Hampton, second-year, North Carolina.

Tackles — Taliese Fuaga, fourth-year, Oregon State; JC Latham, third-year, Alabama.

Guards — Tate Ratledge, fourth-year, Georgia; Clay Webb, fifth-year, Jacksonville State.

Center — Sedrick Van Pran, fourth-year, Georgia.

Tight ends — Dallin Holker, fifth-year, Colorado State.

Wide receivers — Troy Franklin, third-year, Oregon; Malik Washington, fifth-year, Virginia; Luther Burden III, second-year, Missouri.

All-purpose player — Ashton Jeanty, second-year, Boise State.

Kicker — Jose Pizano, third-year, UNLV.

Edge rushers — Jonah Elliss, third-year, Utah; Jared Verse, fourth-year, Florida State.

Interior linemen — Byron Murphy II, third-year, Texas; Howard Cross III, fifth-year, Notre Dame.

Linebackers — Jeremiah Trotter Jr., third-year, Clemson; Jason Henderson, third-year, Old Dominion; Jay Higgins, fourth-year, Iowa.

Cornerbacks — Quinyon Mitchell, fourth-year, Toledo; Beanie Bishop Jr., sixth-year, West Virginia.

Safeties — Tyler Nubin, fifth-year, Minnesota; Caleb Downs, first-year, Alabama.

Defensive back — Kris Abrams-Draine, fourth-year, Missouri.

Punter — Matthew Hayball, sixth-year, Vanderbilt.

Third team

Quarterbacks — Bo Nix, fifth-year, Oregon.

Running backs — Blake Corum, fourth-year, Michigan; Kimani Vidal, fourth-year, Troy.

Tackles — Javon Foster, sixth-year, Missouri; Troy Fautanu, fifth-year, Washington.

Guards — Christian Haynes, sixth-year, UConn; Luke Kandra, fourth-year, Cincinnati.

Center — Zach Frazier, fourth-year, West Virginia.

Tight end — Ben Sinnott, fourth-year, Kansas State.

Wide receivers — Ricky White, fourth-year, UNLV; Brian Thomas Jr., third-year, LSU; Tetairoa McMillan, second-year, Arizona.

All-purpose player — Xavier Worthy, third-year, Texas.

Kicker — Will Reichard, fifth-year, Alabama.

Edge rushers — Chop Robinson, third-year, Penn State; Bralen Trice, fifth-year, Washington.

Interior linemen — Kris Jenkins, fourth-year, Michigan; Braden Fiske, sixth-year, Florida State.

Linebackers — Nathaniel Watson, sixth-year, Mississippi State; Edefuan Ulofoshio, sixth-year, Washington; Danny Stutsman, third-year, Oklahoma.

Cornerbacks — Ricardo Hallman, third-year, Wisconsin; T.J. Tampa, fourth-year, Iowa State.

Safeties — Trey Taylor, fifth-year, Air Force; Dillon Thieneman, first-year, Purdue.

Defensive back — Sebastian Castro, fifth-year, Iowa.

Punter — James Ferguson-Reynolds, second-year, Boise State.

The Denver Post contributed to this story.

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Former Cincinnati tight end Chamon Metayer and Drelon Miller, a four-star recruit from Silsbee (Texas) High School, announced their verbal commitments to CU.

Metayer caught 23 passes for 258 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore at Cincinnati this past season.

A four-star recruit out of North Miami (Fla.) High School in 2021, Metayer spent three seasons with the Bearcats. Listed by Cincinnati at 6-foot-5, 240 pounds, he redshirted in 2021 and appeared in six games in 2022, making one catch for 32 yards. He was one of the Bearcats’ stars of the spring game last year before his breakout campaign.

Listed at 6-0, 190 pounds by 247Sports.com, Miller has 44 scholarship offers and chose CU over LSU, Texas A&M, USC and others.

Miller, who visited CU earlier this month, was ranked as the No. 13 receiver in the country for the 2024 class by the 247Sports composite rankings. He’s also listed as the No. 64 overall prospect in the class.

Miller is one of 10 high school players on CU’s commitment list with the Dec. 20 signing day around the corner. CU’s average player rating of 91.08 leads the future Big 12.

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“We bought it used. Very used,” Keith Matocha, father of Colorado School of Mines QB John Matocha, told me with a laugh as his son’s top-ranked Orediggers pounded Kutztown, 35-7, to punch a second straight ticket to the NCAA Division II football national championships.

“And we weren’t very smart. We’re from Texas. It’s 2-wheel drive in a pickup, so he gets stranded quite often. So his lineman roommates ended up hauling him around quite a bit.”

As the snow that frosted Marv Kay Field reminded Keith of the worst decision of his son’s young life, the party below us reminded him of the best.

“Definitely the goal was to get back (to the NCAA championship),” the elder Matocha said of his son, who completed 30 of 37 passes, threw for three scores and ran for another to improve Mines’ record to 14-0 and launch them into a winner-take-all title game against Harding (Ark.) on Saturday in McKinney, Texas.

“So they can talk about ‘one game at a time’ all they want. But at the end, it was always about getting back to McKinney. So, yes, very determined. Very focused.”

A friend slid carefully to Keith along the icy bleachers, patting Dad on the shoulder as he passed.

“Bring home one more!”

Then another friend.

“Five years. It’s been great.”

Then another.

“Happy for all of you. Way to go.”

And another.

“You won’t have to fly out again.”

Keith, whose family lives in Houston, smiled at that last one.

“My brother lives very close to (McKinney),” dad explained. “So we get to go sleep on their floor.”

One more. One. More.

At least they know the drill. More to the point, so do the Diggers. In hindsight, John Matocha reflected, just getting to the title game for the first time as a program last December felt like Mines’ big victory.

The Diggers were just happy to be there. Ferris State was angrier. And faster. And bigger. Much, much, much, much bigger.

“When I sat up there (in the stands at McKinney) and (Ferris) ran that first sweep,” reflected Mines alum Tom Dimelow, who sat a few rows over from the Matochas. “I said to myself, ‘My God, Vince Lombardi must be smiling today.'”

Marv Kay, bless his soul, not so much. Ferris went up 27-0 at the half and rolled to a 41-14 victory.

“We felt we’d made it,” the younger Matocha, who just passed Chicago Bears QB Tyson Bagent for the No. 1 spot on the NCAA’s all-time carer passing TD chart, recalled earlier in the week. “We felt like the hype overcame us, and it may have affected our preparation and our execution.

“This year, it’s not a surprise, or ‘Oh my gosh, we made it.’ We have the experience to back it up now. … We’ll be more prepared.”

They’ve got the beef, too, if Saturday was any harbinger.

Mines nose tackle Kyle Bahnsen, a 305-pound ball of angry, split a double-team in the first half and forced Bears QB Judd Novak to throw the ball to the Heavens or risk an early audience with the angels. Novak heaved a wounded duck that got picked off in the end zone by Diggers safety Collin Romero. Kutztown never really threatened through the air again.

And despite the Golden Bears making a concerted effort to load up in the box, Mines racked up 165 rush yards on 29 carries anyway. And the fakes off the read option allowed Matocha to find 6-foot-4 Flynn Schiele (11 catches, 181 receiving yards) either all alone or matched up in single coverage against 5-9 corner Antaun Lloyd, whom he posted up the way Nikola Jokic posts up small-ball centers.

“They’ve got a great offensive line,” Kutztown coach Jim Clements said. “They are going to be hard to beat (in the championship).”

One more. One. More.

Mines athletic director David Hansburg had Texas on the brain Saturday, too. He watched the postgame news conference, leaning against a far wall, in a gray cowboy hat.

“You get that in McKinney?” I asked.

“Aspen,” he said with a grin.

“Is that from the Coach Prime collection?”

Hansburg shook his head, removed his chapeau and pointed at the tiny name burned into the brim: OREDIGGERS.

Welcome to Golden, where the dream lives.

“It’s what they play for,” Keith Matocha reflected proudly. “And a lot of these kids stuck around to go make it happen, right? I mean, you’ve got a lot of kids — I think (Mines coach Pete) Sterbick has said, they’ve got other things to do. And they stuck around to go for it. … I didn’t know if they could make it this far. Certainly not with the consistency that they have. But they’ve proven it.

“All of a sudden, it’s a reality now.”

One more, Blaster. One. More.

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“All you want is the opportunity to win, to compete, to dominate, to be amongst the elite, to be amongst the best,” Sanders said during his introductory press conference on Dec. 4, 2022. “And darn it, I’m gonna give you that.”

Coach Prime didn’t give CU all of that in Year 1, but he certainly brought some of it and has instilled hope for more in Year 2.

Sanders took over a CU team that went 1-11 in 2022 and probably wasn’t even that good. With an entirely new coaching staff and 87 new players, the 2023 Buffaloes finished 4-8.

The 2022 and 2023 Buffs both finished in the same spot, last in the Pac-12 with matching 1-8 conference records. That’s about the only similarity from last year to this year, though.

Blown out nearly every week in 2022, Sanders delivered more wins this year and much more competitiveness. Five of the eight losses came by seven points or less.

Sanders expected to win more games, but summed up the season well when he said, “We didn’t accomplish what we wanted, but we accomplished what we needed. I think hope is instilled tremendously in this city, in the student body, within this team, within this building, and you see the direction that we’re headed.”

The process of improving for 2024 is underway, but we’ll take a look at Sanders’ first season in Boulder with BuffZone’s final report card and individual awards.

Grades

Offense: We gave the offense a B-plus on the mid-term report card. At that point, seven games into the season, they were averaging 34.4 points per game. It was quite a different story after that. In the last five games, CU averaged 19.4 points and 267.2 yards per game. Looking at the full body of work, the Buffs finished with 28.0 points and 363.6 yards per game. QB Shedeur Sanders set a single-season CU passing record (3,230 yards) and threw 27 touchdowns, just one shy of the record. Receivers Xavier Weaver and Travis Hunter were spectacular and Jimmy Horn Jr. had a good year, too. The run game, however, was underutilized, which contributed to the late-season struggles. Grade: B-minus.

Defense: Unlike the offense, the defense actually got slightly better late in the year. They gave up 35.9 points and 473.7 yards in first seven games. In the last five, they allowed 33.4 points and 424.8 yards, while holding three of the five opponents to 28 points or less. This was never a great unit, but the Buffs had some positives. They forced 20 turnovers (tied for 32nd nationally), ranked 26th in red zone defense and were dramatically better in generating sacks than they were a year ago, getting 27, compared to nine in 2022. Grade: D.

Special teams: This wound up being a very solid unit. It was a bit of a roller-coaster early in the year. Punter Mark Vassett was one of the best punters in the Pac-12. He averaged 44.4 yards and landed 22 punts inside the 20. Of those, he set school records for most punts inside the 10 (11) and inside the five (six). Kicker Alejandro Mata settled into the starting job midway through the season and finished 10-of-12 on field goals, including a career-long 47 yards. The Buffs never did get kickoffs figured out, but Xavier Weaver (punts) and Jimmy Horn (kickoffs) turned into dangerous weapons on returns. Grade: C-plus.

Individual awards

Team MVP: QB Shedeur Sanders. CU hasn’t has a quarterback as good as Sanders in a long time, if ever. He was brilliant at times, setting a school record for single-season passing yards (3,230), coming up one short of the TD record (27) and throwing only three interceptions. He was also sacked 52 times, the most in the nation and 13 more than any QB in CU history. Some of those were on him, but not all. All the hits added up to him being unable to play the last six quarters, but he was sensational was healthy.

Byron White Award: CB/WR Travis Hunter. In CU history, there’s never been a better overall player than White, who did it all for the Buffs in 1936 and 1937. Hunter doesn’t punt or handle return duties like White did, but he’s the most versatile player in college football today. In fact, he won the Paul Hornung Award this week for being the nation’s most versatile player. As a receiver, he caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns. As a cornerback, he had 31 tackles, three interceptions and five pass breakups. And he did it in only nine games.

Top offensive player: WR Xavier Weaver. Sanders is the overall MVP, so we’ll mix it up and give this award to Weaver. A bout with the flu caused him to miss the finale and a shot a 1,000-yard season, but he was fantastic this year. He caught 68 passes for 908 yards – both numbers rank in the top 11 in CU history for a single season – and four touchdowns. He also averaged 16.5 yards on eight punt returns.

Top defensive player: OLB Jordan Domineck. Came to CU highly touted after being one of the SEC leaders in sacks a year ago at Arkansas, with 7.5. He didn’t have as many sacks this year (5), but posted a career-high with 12 tackles for loss, leading the team. He also had 51 total tackles, while added four quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. Domineck was arguably CU’s most consistent defender, recording at least one tackle for loss in nine of the 12 games.

Top special teams player: P Mark Vassett. Like the rest of the special teams, he had some rocky moments early, but he wound up proving to be a major weapon. His 44.4-yard average was solid, but where he really shined was with his directional punting and flipping the field with his ability to pin opponents deep. He was one of the best punters in the ACC with Louisville last year and one of the best in the Pac-12 this year.

Top freshman: RB Dylan Edwards. This was no contest, as Edwards was a star in Game 1 and a regular contributor all year. His best game was the opener against TCU (159 total yards, four touchdowns), but he finished the season with some nice numbers, especially for a freshman. He was third on the team in all-purpose yards with 768 (321 rushing, 299 receiving, 148 on returns).

Biggest surprise: TE Michael Harrison. A walk-on receiver in the spring, he converted to tight end over the summer. Then, he posted one of the best seasons by a CU tight end in years before hitting the transfer portal last week. Remained a walk-on, but finished with 31 catches for 284 yards and five touchdowns. It’s the most catches by a CU tight end since 2009 and the most touchdowns by a Buffs’ tight end since 2007.

Best interview: QB Shedeur Sanders. CU’s got a lot of good personalities who were great with the media, including Domineck, Weaver and safety Shilo Sanders. This award goes to Shedeur, however, because not only was he great when he got in front of the media, but he took on the challenge of answering questions after wins and losses and never flinched.

On Saturday, four starting linemen from FBS teams committed to the Buffaloes, as well as a veteran receiver.

Center Yakiri Walker (Connecticut), guards Tyler Johnson (Houston) and Justin Mayers (UTEP) and tackle Kahlil Benson (Indiana) all announced their verbal commitments to CU. Also, former North Carolina State receiver Terrell  Timmons Jr. announced his decision to transfer to the Buffs.

CU struggled up front all season, allowing a school-record 56 sacks, while also having the worst rushing offense in the country. At one point, Sanders expressed frustration by saying, “The big picture, you go get new linemen. That’s the picture and I’m gonna paint it perfectly.”

That process is well underway.

According to Pro Football Focus, the four linemen who committed Saturday have given up a combined eight sacks on 2,962 pass blocking snaps over the past two seasons. They’ve also got a combined 76 career starts at the FBS level.

Johnson, listed at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, was a two-year starter at Houston. This past season, he started all 12 games for the Cougars at left guard, playing 661 total snaps. He had a total grade of 65.7 by PFF, including a pass blocking grade of 80.0.

In 2022, he made 10 starts at right guard. His PFF pass blocking grade of 87.6 was sixth nationally among guards and he was named to PFF’s All-American Athletic Conference third team. According to PFF, he allowed one sack in 2022 and one in 2023.

A four-star recruit coming out of Oak Ridge (Texas) High School in 2019, Johnson played for three seasons at Texas. He made just one appearance for the Longhorns, however, starting against CU in the Alamo Bowl and logging 61 snaps.

Benson was Indiana’s starting right tackle for all 12 games this season. The 6-6, 310-pounder from Southaven, Miss., was a three-star recruit coming out of high school in 2020 and chose the Hoosiers over 10 other schools.

This season, Benson allowed one sack, according to PFF. He played in 12 games in 2022 with five starts at guard. He missed the 2020 season with a torn ACL and did not appear in any games in 2021. He’s got two seasons of eligibility remaining.

Mayers, listed at 6-3, 309, was All-Conference USA honorable mention the past two seasons at UTEP, starting all 24 games for the Miners at left guard. According to PFF, he has allowed just two sacks in the past two seasons combined, posting pass block ratings of 82.5 in 2022 and 84.1 this year.

From Frisco, Texas, Mayers spent five seasons at UTEP. He redshirted in 2019 and played in 11 games over the next two seasons as a reserve.

Walker, listed by UConn at 6-foot-2, 272 pounds, started all 12 games for the Huskies this season at center, playing 797 snaps. He had a PFF grade of 65.5, which was the lowest among UConn’s five starting linemen, but he allowed just one sack in 435 pass blocking snaps.

Walker, who is from DeSoto (Texas) High School, has played three seasons at UConn. He redshirted in 2021 and played 37 snaps in 2022 before winning a starting job this past season.

On Thursday, CU landed a commitment from the No. 1 prep tackle prospect in the country, Jordan Seaton, from IMG Academy in Florida.

Also this week, Amari Ward, who played for Sanders at Jackson State, announced his commitment to the Buffs.

CU is losing just one primary lineman (guard Landon Bebee) to graduation, but starting left tackle Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan and center Van Wells have gone into the transfer portal to seek other opportunities.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Timmons comes to CU after playing a backup role  at NC State. As a sophomore this year, he played in all 12 games, with one start, catching 11 passes for 195 yards. In 2022, Timmons played in nine games as a true freshman, catching three passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.

A three-star recruit coming out Northern Guilford (N.C.) High School in 2022, Timmons is the cousin of Los Angeles Chargers receiver Keenan Allen.

There are reasons for it coming across that way, one of which we’ll get into shortly. But let’s say this, too: To be fair to the GTW peanut gallery, not a single soul on our crack team said Coach Prime couldn’t recruit. Or that he couldn’t sell, as confirmed by the commitment of mega high school tackle Jordan Seaton, the latest feather in the man’s talent-building cap, earlier this week.

But GTW’s overall stance hasn’t changed. Yes, 4-8 is a heck of a lot better than 1-11. Yes, Boulder is back on the national college football map. But as to other parts of The Great Deion Sanders Experiment? Jury’s still out.

Coach Prime wants … “privacy?” — F

And Prime hasn’t exactly engendered our sympathies when he stiff-arms local media outlets in favor of video operations run by family members and friends — or in favor of paid business partners.

His program. His media team. His rules. His message. Sanders has had multiple camera crews following him around darn near everywhere for the 12 months in which he’s been employed by CU, and fair enough. But you can’t have it both ways. Because Sanders also had the gall, during a series of interviews with national outlets earlier this week, to tell People magazine this:

“You always wish that you had a little more privacy. But the same thing that makes you shine will show your blemishes. So, you’ve got to take the good with the bad. You can’t just want everyone there when the hype machine is rolling, you have to understand there’s another side to this.”

There is. And good on a man who brought his own Amazon Prime crew and at least two YouTube channels north with him to acknowledge that, at least. Still: A reality show and reality itself, even on Planet Prime, aren’t always the same thing.

You signed up for this, Coach. Both sides. All sides.

More Denver college hoops cred — A-.

Our little “football” state keeps building up steam as a college hoops one, doesn’t it? CU features a future NBA lottery pick (Cody Williams) and has the seeds of a potential NCAA tourney resume already planted. CSU, king of the locals, heads into a big Moby Arena tussle with Saint Mary’s on Saturday sitting at 13th in the AP Poll, unbeaten (9-0) and a sexy pick to win the Mountain West.

Don’t tell anybody, but an early strain of March Madness seems to be catching on at other men’s hoops outposts across the Centennial State, too. Air Force sports a 7-2 record with three “true” road wins, already tying a single-season record for away victories before the middle of December. DU — hockey school, not a football one — sports the nation’s points leader, and No. 2 points-per-game scorer as of Friday, in guard Tommy Bruner. Yeah, he’s a volume shooter (Bruner leads the country in shots, with 180, going into Saturday). But when you’re connecting on your treys — Bruner was good on 4 of 9 attempts from distance in a loss at CSU this past Wednesday — at a 46.3% clip, dude, fire away.

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As a Colorado Buffalo for most of his life, Darian Hagan is practically allergic to the color red.

So, when he made the decision this week to accept a job as the running backs coach at San Diego State, he knew things would change.

“It’s the first time in my entire life that I’ve had to wear red on my body,” Hagan joked in an interview with BuffZone, referencing CU’s distaste for the primary color of long-time rival Nebraska.

SDSU is easing him in, though. On Tuesday, his first day on the job, he was given a tour of the facilities, including seeing the coaches’ locker room for the first time.

“They showed me all this gear that they had for me,” he said. “It’s the funniest thing: not one outfit in my locker was red. Every other coach had red shirts, red hat, red shoes. There wasn’t nothing in my locker that was red. I got a good laugh out of that.

“At some point I have to wear it.”

That’s part of a major life change that Hagan never expected but is embracing.

One of the greatest players in CU football history, Hagan quarterbacked the Buffaloes to their only national title, in 1990. Playing at CU from 1988-1991, he was a three-year starter, compiling a 28-5-2 record, including 20-0-1 in Big Eight games. He has the most wins of any quarterback in CU history and, as a sophomore, finished fifth in Heisman Trophy balloting.

A Los Angeles native, Hagan worked for CU’s Alumni C Club in the late 1990s and then returned to CU in 2004 to get into coaching. Until this week, he had been at CU ever since, including 12 seasons (2006-10 and 2016-22) as the running backs coach.

When CU hired Deion Sanders as head coach a year ago, Sanders retained Hagan, but not on the coaching staff. As most new coaches do, Sanders brought in his own staff, including running backs coach Gary Harrell. Hagan, who worked under seven head coaches at CU, was told he would have a role, but it took a while to define it.

In the spring, he was essentially an analyst, but said, “I was hands on with everything,” and still enjoyed being able to work with the players. Then, the spring ended and so did Hagan’s time on the field.

“I’m still at a loss,” he said. “I don’t know what transpired, but it was nothing that was ever told to me other than he wants to tighten up his circle.”

Hagan moved into an off the field position, where he was essentially an ambassador for the program. He would attend events that athletic director Rick George or other administrators couldn’t attend and spoke about the program with the community and donors.

“To have had the role I had was disheartening and it was a frustrating year for me,” Hagan said. “It was cool, but it wasn’t a role that I really loved.

“I don’t know what happened (after the spring), but I’ll tell you this: everything happens for a reason and the good Lord wanted me to be at San Diego State.”

In the spring, Hagan was able to work with then-CU offensive coordinator Sean Lewis. So, when Lewis was hired last week as SDSU’s head coach, he reached out to Hagan.

“He just saw my work ethic,” Hagan said. “He was seeing how dedicated I was, how I was with the kids and I think he filed it away and put it in the back of his head that if he was ever going to get another opportunity (as head coach) he would want me to be a part of his staff.”

Hagan and those around him figured he’d always be at CU, but to continue coaching he had to leave.

“I never in my wildest dreams thought that I wouldn’t still be at the University of Colorado,” he said. “I also thought I would be coaching while there.

“It’s exciting because now I’m reaching a whole different group of kids. It’s a group of players that I can touch that have never heard my story, have never heard the things that I’ve been through, things I’ve accomplished, and how genuine I am. I can help those guys on their life path because that’s what I do. I like to be around young men and watch them prosper and grow. I’ve coached some really good players and I’ve coached them to be really good, fundamentally sound players. That’s something that I miss, and I’m looking forward to being able to do that again.”

There’s also value in leaving the comfort zone, even if there is uneasiness about it.

“I’ve seen the CU way for so long and now I get a chance to see how the Aztecs do things,” he said. “It’s something that, it’s invaluable so I’m looking forward to those things as well.”

It’s a bonus that Lewis retained Aztecs cornerbacks coach Demetrius Sumler. From 2007-09, Sumler played running back at CU for Hagan, rushing for 714 yards and nine touchdowns.

“Having someone that knows me, knows who I am, knows how I operate, he’s a guy that I’ve always admired, as a coach and as a person,” Hagan said. “It’s going to be fun for me to be around him on a daily basis again.”

When the opportunity came about, Hagan was anxious about moving his family. But he spoke with his wife, Donnah Phipps, and youngest son, DeMari, who is 5 years old.

“They were super excited, so that eased my anxiety,” Hagan said.

And it helps that Hagan’s hometown will be just two hours away and that he has several family members in the Los Angeles area who are eager to have him near home again.

“They’re super excited,” Hagan said. “They never thought that I would leave the University of Colorado but (they said) whatever is best for me and my family I should do it. They also get a chance to see DeMari more.”

In fact, Hagan’s aunt, with whom he lived while in high school, told him she’s thrilled Hagan has this opportunity.

“Then,” Hagan said with a laugh, “She goes, ‘That’s enough of me talking about you. Get that little boy down here so I can see him.’”

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A federal lawsuit filed by a group of states that includes Colorado alleges the NCAA’s transfer rule for college athletes violates antitrust law.

The lawsuit, filed in West Virginia’s northern district, challenges the NCAA’s authority to impose a one-year delay in the eligibility of certain athletes who transfer between schools. The suit said the rule “unjustifiably restrains the ability of these college athletes to engage in the market for their labor as NCAA Division I college athletes.”

The lawsuit filed by West Virginia and six other states alleges violations of the Sherman Act. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is listed as a plaintiff in the lawsuit, and he released a statement Thursday afternoon in the wake of it being filed.

“The spirit of athletic competition at the heart of college sports is undermined by this rule, which is another in a long line of NCAA policies that courts have overturned for harming the rights of athletes to develop freely and fairly,” Weiser said in the statement. “By restricting mobility of athletes, the NCAA is adversely hindering student athletes from finding the best opportunities for themselves. We support having all of our Colorado higher education institutions to be able to recruit and build their best possible teams without the transfer restrictions.”

NCAA rules allow underclassmen to transfer once without having to sit out a year. But an additional transfer as an undergraduate generally requires the NCAA to grant a waiver allowing the athlete to compete immediately. Without it, the athlete would have to sit out for a year at the new school.

The NCAA this year has implemented stricter guidelines for granting those waivers, reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

NCAA spokeswoman Michelle Hosick didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment Thursday afternoon.

In an interview with The Associated Press, North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein said the target is the waiver process.

“As long as the kid is in good academic standing and on track to graduate, that kid should be able to decide for him or herself what’s in their best interest, for their personal growth, their happiness, their economic opportunity,” Stein said. “That is absolutely the American Way. And that’s a requirement of federal law. The rule offends that requirement.”

The states seek a temporary restraining order against the NCAA from enforcing the transfer rule. Other states involved in the lawsuit are Illinois, New York, Ohio and Tennessee.

The complaint alleges requiring athletes to sit can mean the loss of potential earnings from endorsement deals with their name, image and likeness (NIL) or even professional careers. It points to exposure from competing in national broadcasts, noting: “One game can take a college athlete from a local fan favorite to a household name.”

“It is ironic that this rule, stylized as promoting the welfare of college athletes, strips them of the agency and opportunity to optimize their own welfare as they see fit,” the lawsuit said.

Stein, a Democrat running for governor in North Carolina, got involved in the recent transfer-waiver case involving Tar Heels receiver Devontez “Tez” Walker.

The NCAA initially denied the Kent State transfer’s waiver as a two-time transfer after his stop at North Carolina Central, even though he never played there because the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020 season. UNC fought for months to get Walker on the field in a testy case before the NCAA reversed its position in October.

Stein had also sent a letter on behalf of Wake Forest men’s basketball player Efton Reid III, who had started his career at LSU before transferring to Gonzaga. The 7-footer finally received a waiver to play Tuesday and made his season debut in the Demon Deacons’ win against Rutgers on Wednesday.

Stein told the AP the lawsuit grew out of a national conference in Washington, D.C., this week for attorneys general. Stein participated in a panel discussion on the NCAA there with Colorado AG Phil Weiser, Ohio AG Dave Yost and Ohio Deputy First Attorney General Shawn Busken.

“I have not heard from any other institutions, but I know that other student-athletes in North Carolina are similarly being denied the opportunity to play,” Stein said. “So rather than continue to do case-by-case, we decided let’s strike the rule down, because the rule itself is illegal.”

West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, a Republican running for governor next year, got involved after the NCAA denied West Virginia basketball player RaeQuan Battle a waiver to play immediately following his transfer from Montana State. Battle had previously played at Washington, but he hasn’t played this year after the NCAA denied Battle’s waiver and appeal.

Battle, who grew up on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in the state of Washington, said his mental health is a big reason why he’s at West Virginia. Battle said in a recent video that he has lost “countless people” to drugs, alcohol and COVID-19.

After Battle visited West Virginia, he learned that now-coach Josh Eilert had lived on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota with his mother following his parents’ divorce.

Battle’s coach at Montana State, Danny Sprinkle, left for Utah State after the 2022-23 season. Battle said Sprinkle was one of his main pillars of support and guidance, so staying at Montana State wasn’t an option. And although Battle would have kept his eligibility had he followed Sprinkle, Battle said his graduation date would have been significantly delayed.

Morrisey said in a statement that the NCAA “failed to recognize the underlying issues involving RaeQuan and many other student athletes in similar situations — there’s no reason for the NCAA to deny this young man the ability to play the sport he loves and that helps him with his mental health.”

The lawsuit also cited mental health issues in the transfer cases of Southern Illinois basketball player Jarrett Hensley and Southern Illinois football player Noah Fenske. Hensley previously attended UNC Greensboro and Cincinnati, while Fenske also attended Iowa and Colorado.

The Denver Post contributed to this report.

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In this edition of the Kickin’ it with Kiz podcast, Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla talks sports betting, bourbon, Broncos and the controversy surrounding the College Football Playoff. Among the topics discussed:

• Kiz is joined by Denver Post staff Nuggets beat writer Bennett “Benito” Durando as they break down the College Football Playoff and the game lines they are eyeing this weekend.
• Kiz talks Broncos and their chances for a playoff Berth after winning five of their last six games.
• Nate Kiszla, son of Kiz, stops by to talk bourbon with his pops.

The Kickin’ it with Kiz podcast is brought to you by Argonaut Wine & Liquor, featuring Buffalo Trace.

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “Bumble Bees” by Schama Noel

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Jordan Seaton, the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle recruit as ranked by 247Sports.com’s composite rankings, announced on Fox Sports 1’s “Undisputed” on Thursday morning that he’s committing to the CU Buffs.

The 6-foot-5, 287-pound blocker played his senior season of football at IMG Academy in Florida after transferring in from St. John’s High School in Washington, D.C.

“You’ve got to believe in Coach Prime,” Seaton told Fox Sports 1. “Having the opportunity to play with somebody who’s done it at the highest level, a (Hall of Fame) level. Very few can say they did that. I’ve got two Heisman candidates (to play with) — Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, they’re amazing. You know how they go.

“If you ain’t rocking with us and you claim you’re a dawg, why are you not coming to Colorado? Why you not helping somebody who looks like you?”

The Buffs hosted Seaton, a five-star recruit, during their loss to Oregon State on Nov. 4. The tackle had offers from 29 Power 5 programs, per the 247Sports database, and had been considering CU along with Ohio State, Alabama, Texas, Florida and Tennessee.

Seaton represents one of Coach Prime’s biggest recruiting wins as a head coach in a short career that’s seen several already.

Sanders shocked experts by landing cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, the nation’s No. 1 prep recruit in the Class of 2022, at Jackson State. Hunter then followed Coach Prime from Jackson, Miss., to CU. Hunter, a sophomore, was recently presented with the 2023 Paul Hornung Award, given annually to “the most versatile player in major college football.”

Floridian Cormani McClain, 247Sports’ No. 1 cornerback recruit for the Class of 2023, committed to the Buffs in January and appeared in nine games as a true freshman, recording two pass break-ups.

Seaton also addresses the Buffs’ most glaring weakness in Sanders’ first season as an FBS coach: the offensive line.

CU allowed the most sacks (56) of any Power 5 program this past fall, and Sanders’ son Shedeur, the Buffs’ starting quarterback, was sacked 52 times in 11 starts.

“That will never happen again,” Seaton told Fox Sports 1.

It’s presumed that, like Shedeur, Seaton will start from Day 1 at CU.

The Buffs’ starting left tackle this past season, Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan, recently entered the transfer portal.

“He’s an elite-level football player,” Pat Ward, Seaton’s former coach at St. John’s, told The Post last month. “Just a very good athlete, great work ethic, wants to be a great player. One of the best players I’ve ever coached.”

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