Deion Sanders explains how Juwan Mitchell has made early impact
Of all the names Deion Sanders brought to Colorado via the NCAA transfer portal, linebacker Juwan Mitchell may have been the latest addition. Mitchell was planning on playing for Arizona State this season, a Pac-12 rival. Instead, he will play under Prime at his fourth different Power Five school.
Sanders broke down how Mitchell has made an early impact, claiming he is mentally ahead of the other Colorado linebackers. Mitchell has not been on campus for too long but has picked up defensive coordinator Charles Kelly‘s scheme incredibly quickly. Mix it with the natural talent he has at linebacker and Mitchell is an early star for the Buffaloes.
“He’s really an intelligent player,” Sanders said. “He really knows the game of football. Not only that, he’s instinctive. He’s way more instinctive than the other linebackers. He’s very physical and his aptitude for the game — like, he knows football. That’s the main thing. Getting here that quickly and learning the scheme is phenomenal. But he loves the darn game.”
Mitchell has played in both the wins over TCU and Nebraska. However, he did not record a statistic until the win at home on Saturday. Three tackles and a tackle for loss were recorded against the Cornhuskers. In what was a dominant day for the Colorado defense, Mitchell played a huge role.
Sanders will be hoping more is on the way as well. Once Colorado faces Colorado State in the Rocky Mountain Showdown, a grueling Pac-12 schedule will get underway with Oregon and USC to start. Having a veteran linebacker as advanced as Sanders says will be critical toward continuing the early season success.
Juwan Mitchell excelling at Colorado, final year of college football journey
Mitchell has just one season of eligibility remaining in Colorado. He has been with quite a few programs, beginning at Junior College. However, his first stop among the Power Five schools was at Texas, playing under head coach Tom Herman. Two years were spent in Austin before Steve Sarkisian took over the program.
Tennessee was next up for the linebacker, spending another two years with the Vols. Mitchell made an impact for Josh Heupel during the 2022 season after redshirting in 2021. Mitchell made 43 tackles and even recorded an interception against Kentucky.
Arizona State was thought to be the final destination but one day, he arrived on Colorado’s campus. Now, the final chapter is being written.