No one knows talent better than a head coach! Seeing right through the glamour and glitz of the star players on his team, Deion Sanders has set his eyes on forging another gem in his program. Travis Hunter is surely stealing the show on the cornerback front. However, Deion Sanders knows that he has another CB prodigy, Preston Hodge, on their roster with the potential to match Hunter’s athleticism, waiting to be recognized. Now, Prime has made it a mission to help him shine this season.

The 6-0, 195-pound D-line beast was ranked the No. 77 overall player by 247 Sports in December 2023, the same time he committed to CU. The former Liberty player has also seen some impressive action there, recording 60 tackles, 13 passes defended, 3 TFLs, 2 interceptions, and an interception-returned touchdown during his 25-game appearances. Despite the rich bag of stats, Preston Hodge failed to make it to the national lists of CB. Deion Sanders wants to flip this narrative.

Hence, countable-on-the-fingertips weeks away from the regular season, Coach Prime is making sure to flip the tables with Preston Hodge. During a Well Off Media clip, Deion Sanders confidently assures the CB of his faith in him, saying, “I want you to be great. That’s why I’m on you.” But ‘great’ is not where Prime wants to stop with this prodigy. He wants him to be a ‘first-rounder’ since it is his final collegiate year.

“When I look at the list, I see these guys slotted to go first round, and your name isn’t there. That makes me mad. Let’s go get it,” Prime said, hyping Preston Hodge up ahead of his practice session. Prime’s eye for talent is commendable; even PPF grades back it up.

Preston Hodge’s PPF ranks speak volumes

Deion Sanders’ recruiting eye truly grabbed some gems in this transfer portal window. Preston Hodge was one of them. The PPF lists are already familiar with Hodge’s name since he features in the top 10. In 2023, Hodge scored 88.8, the ninth-best pass-covering grade in the FBS. Walking into 2024, the CB made a massive leap on the PPF lists.

Hodge topped the June 2024 PPF list of the highest-graded returning cornerbacks in the Big 12, the list from which Travis Hunter was snubbed. The CB shared the inspiration behind his success at CU, someone who was unimaginable for many. “He’s (Travis Hunter’s) a leader. Watching him and what he does on and off the field, being the first guy in line in the drills, you know what I’m saying? I try to be right there with him and lead by example,” Hodge said on the podium after his first official practice.

Now, will Preston Hodge take over the CB he looks up to in his quest to become one of the finest CBs in the league and later, in the first round of the NFL 2025 draft? Only time will tell.