Deion Sanders to Texas A&M 'Needs to Happen,' Stephen A. Smith Says

Stephen A. Smith, one of the loudest voices in sports—both literally and figuratively—isn't being quiet with his opinion on who he thinks the next college football coach at Texas A&M University should be.

"That's what I've been saying—Deion Sanders in the SEC," the ESPN personality said on the network's Get Up program on Monday morning. "With that vault that they have available to them, with them hogs [linemen] that he could recruit—because he doesn't have them at Colorado and he ain't gonna get them. Deion Sanders. I don't think they'll do it. Texas A&M? Primetime Deion Sanders in the SEC? That needs to happen."

The Aggies fired coach Jimbo Fisher on Sunday after five-plus seasons. Fisher, a former national championship-winning coach at Florida State, couldn't bring the same level of success to the Lone Star State. He finished 45-25 leading Texas A&M, with three bowl wins, but no berths in the SEC Championship Game or College Football Playoff.

Firing Fisher activated a buyout north of $77 million to be paid to the now-former coach, the largest in college football history. And clearly Smith thinks throwing more money at Sanders, who is also known as "Coach Prime," would be a wise investment for Texas A&M.

But would the 56-year-old actually leave University of Colorado Boulder?

Sanders, who previously coached at Jackson State, is in his first season leading the Colorado Buffaloes. And ever since he arrived on campus, there have been questions surrounding how long he will stay. And speculation continued when five-star wide receiver prospect Winston Watkins Jr. recently rescinded his commitment from Colorado.

"I didn't want to limit the opportunities I already have because when you're committed some schools try to not talk to you," Watkins Jr., a class of 2025 recruit, said, via Rivals. "I have a lot of schools I want to make sure I'm still good with them because I don't know if Prime will still be there when I get there."

"Coach Prime" is next scheduled to speak at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. Newsweek reached out to Sanders on Monday via an email to school representatives for comment.

Sanders has yet to publicly address the Texas A&M opening, though has made it clear this season that he intends to stay at Colorado long-term. Just last week, Sanders—who coaches his sons Shedeur and Shilo at Colorado—brushed off questions about potentially coaching in the National Football League (NFL).

Meanwhile, Sanders' business partner, Constance Schwartz-Morini, addressed the coach's future at Colorado on the Rich Eisen Show last month by repeatedly saying, "He's staying."

The Buffaloes, after going 1-11 last year, were the talk of college early this season during their 3-0 start. But Colorado (4-6) has now lost six of its last seven games, with all but two of those contests being decided by seven points or fewer. That includes a 34-31 loss to Arizona on Saturday, after which Sanders apologized to Colorado fans.

"They've been supporting the heck out of us and they've been showing up and showing out—another sellout crowd that ended in disappointment," Sanders said. "We're so close. It's what I told the team. But yet so far. We just simply, truly don't know how to win yet."

Colorado needs to win each of its final two regular-season games to ensure bowl eligibility. The Buffaloes face off with Washington State (4-6) on the road this Friday before closing out their season in Utah against the Utes (7-3) on November 25.