The Colorado Buffaloes head coach has landed “Young Deion” on the players’ roster. You heard that right, but it is not Shedeur, Shilo, or anyone from the Buffaloes bloodline. It is none other than Malakai “Hollywood” Murphy. He is called “Young Deion” for a reason. On the other hand, this move by Coach Prime indicated that something big was planned. 

Since Travis Hunter will join Shedeur in the NFL Draft next year, Sanders has brought Murphy to Boulder as Hunter’s replacement. Meanwhile, the recruit is confident about sharing the same program with Coach Prime, as he said in an interview.

Murphy as the ‘Young Deion’

Sports reporter Noah Ram broke the news of Murphy’s entry into Sanders’ Colorado on X. He shared a clip of Murphy’s interview in which he asked the player, “Your mom said you’re like young Deion. Obviously, you played for the same position, same Colorado, same Florida? Is that something you agree with? That you are going to be like a young Deion?” Murphy replied, “So, definitely.”  

The player shared his aspiration to work with the Buffs HC: “Wanna play for Coach Prime… Coach Prime is a God-fearing man, that’s myself, and it was no-brainer.” It has been reported that Murphy impressed Devin Rispress at a camp last year. The Strake (Fla.) Bradford cornerback is a late 2024 scholarship addition. Even though he is a late recruit, it is believed that Deion Sanders sees him as taking Hunter’s place in his absence.  

Murphy to take up Hunter’s role in the near future

Based on speculation, Hunter could be the first positional player in the upcoming NFL Draft. Being a two-way football star, his departure will leave the Buffaloes in a precarious position. To address the problems beforehand, the Colorado program showed interest in getting Murphy on board. Similarly, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound cornerback chose Deion Sanders’ Buffs over FCS and D-2 offers.

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Although no immediate action has been taken, Murphy is scheduled to depart for Boulder on May 23, according to the reports. As he claimed during the press conference, the recruit could not help but establish his ability to excel on the field: “I am aggressive, strong. I am looking forward to gaining a lot of knowledge. They have a lot of NFL vets on their staff at Colorado, so I am looking to gain knowledge and get to the NFL.”

Murphy is not only good with words but also proficient with action, and he helped Bradford to a 14-1 record last season. Already garnering high respect for Deion Sanders, Murphy is ready to step into the Buffs squad with full enthusiasm and will give his best to live up to his new name, Young Deion.  

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