Deion Sanders is pulling out all the stops to bring an HBCU national football championship to Jackson State.

In his first full season coaching the Mississippi school, Coach Sanders guided the Tigers to an 11-2 overall record, the SWAC title and a trip to the Celebration Bowl, where his team lost to South Carolina State.

To bolster the Tigers’ 2022 chances, Coach Sanders has added former NFL head coach Mike Zimmer to his coaching staff as an analyst. That’s quite an addition for an HBCU program.

Zimmer posted a 72-56-1 record with the Minnesota Vikings from 2014 to 2021 with three playoff appearances.

Before that he worked with Coach Sanders as a Dallas Cowboys’ defensive back coach from 1995 to 1999.

“He’d (Sanders) asked me a few times,” Zimmer said. “The pay is not good. But I love Deion and I’d do anything for him.”

Jackson State opens Sunday, Sept. 4, against Florida A&M in the Orange Blos- som Classic in Miami Gardens. ESPN2 will televise.

Meanwhile, Coach Sanders has landed a banner recruiting class to join his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who passed for nearly 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2021.

According to Hero Sports, Coach Sanders secured the first, second, 12th and 28th best recruits in the nation by FCS schools.

No. 1 is defensive back Travis Hunter from Atlanta, and No. 2 is wide receiver Kevin Coleman from St. Louis.

Coach Sanders also has brought in a load of transfers with sparkling credentials.

If there is a downside to the Tigers’ outlook, it’s a less than an “take-notice” schedule.

If JSU hopes to make headway on the national FCS scene, it needs to score a head-turning win against a non-HBCU op- ponent (preferably of the FBS Division) outside the SWAC/ MEAC ranks.

JSU’s only non-HBCU opponent is Campbell, N.C., an up- and-coming program, for sure. But no heads will spin with a Tigers’ win over the Camels.

The SWAC and MEAC are committed to ending the season with the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. JSU is the early favorite for “Black National Champ” tag.

The Celebration offers ESPN exposure and financial rewards. However, it fails to provide a measuring stick for how SWAC/MEAC schools compare with other FCS programs, such as perennial playoff teams from the Colonial and Summit leagues.

It’s a shame the MEAC and SWAC can’t iron out a deal in which they could play the Celebration Bowl and have a crack at the playoffs, too.