Deion Sanders Prefers QBs From ‘Dual Parent’ Households, ‘Single Mama’ Homes For Defensive Linemen When Recruiting

University of Colorado Boulder head football coach Deion Sanders looks for quarterbacks who come from dual-parent households, he says. But not for defensive linemen.

Sanders was on the Rich Eisen Show from Super Bowl LVII‘s radio row, and the former NFL star gave up his secret for recruiting players at certain positions after the host wondered how Sanders pitches parents of young athletes.

“Well, we have different attributes. Smart, tough, fast, disciplined with character,” Sanders said. “Now, quarterbacks are different. We want mother, father. Dual-parent. We want that kid to be a 3.5 [GPA] and up because he has to be smart. Not bad decisions off the field at all. Because he has to be a leader of men and so many different attributes in what we look for when we see a quarterback.”

Coach Prime likes to have a quarterback whose father coached football, which got an amused smile from Eisen, considering Sanders’ son Shedeur will be the quarterback for the Buffaloes in the 2023 season.

The NFL Hall of Famer has similar criteria when recruiting offensive linemen.

“Different positions are different,” Sanders said. “Like O-linemen, I look for dual-parent homes. A strong father that they adhere to. Smart kid, at least 3.3 [GPA] and above. Tough, physical.”

But on the the defensive side of the ball, the coach looks for a different set of characteristics, and a different family situation.

“Defensive lineman is totally opposite,” Sanders said. “Single mama, trying to get it. He’s on free lunch. I’m talking about just trying to make it. He’s trying to rescue mama. Like, mama barely made the flight, and I just want him to go get it.”

“It’s a whole bit of different attributes you look for in different positions, and we have that stuff just chronicle. We know what we want, and we go get it,” he said.

According to CBS Sports, Sanders’ recruiting class from the 2023 National Signing Day ranks 21st in the country. His program ranks fifth among players who have transferred to Colorado to play for coach Prime.

Watch above via The Rich Eisen Show.