Around this time last year, Deion Sanders was one of the hottest names in football. There was even buzz-real buzz-about whether he could make the leap to the NFL, with whispers that Jerry Jones had kicked the tires on the idea of Coach Prime in Dallas.
That’s how high his stock had soared. Fast forward to now, and the vibe in Boulder couldn’t be more different.
Colorado just wrapped up a tough 3-9 season, closing it out with a 24-14 loss on the road at Kansas State. And Sanders?
He didn’t mince words after the game. “We won’t be in this situation again, I can promise you that,” he told reporters.
“I’m not happy with nothing right now. Nothing.”
When asked if he at least liked the fight his team showed, Prime didn’t offer any sugarcoating. “It’s not a consolation,” he said.
“They supposed to fight, supposed to give they best.” That’s classic Deion-holding the standard high and not letting effort be mistaken for execution.
But the real headline came when Sanders pointed to the root of Colorado’s struggles this season. It wasn’t the play-calling.
It wasn’t injuries. It wasn’t locker room dynamics.
According to Sanders, the biggest factor was money-specifically, the evolving economics of college football. NIL deals.
Transfer portal bidding wars. The financial arms race that’s redefining how rosters are built.
“If last year was the rise,” Sanders seemed to say, “this year was the reckoning.”
Colorado’s roster took a hit, and it showed. The team bled talent throughout the offseason, losing key contributors to the portal-many in search of bigger NIL paydays.
And once the season started, the Buffs never really found their footing. Quarterback play was a revolving door.
Transfer Kaidon Salter got the bulk of the snaps, Ryan Staub got a look, and true freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis even started a few games before redshirting. But no one took control of the offense, and without stability under center, the unit sputtered week after week.
For Sanders, the collapse didn’t start in September-it started months earlier, when the roster began to unravel. And as much as he’s known for his charisma and confidence, this version of Prime was blunt and businesslike.
He didn’t blame the playbook. He blamed the money game.
Off the field, it’s been just as tough. Sanders spent part of the offseason battling cancer, which kept him away from the team during a crucial stretch.
That absence sparked speculation about his long-term future at Colorado, but Sanders has been adamant: he’s not going anywhere. He’s all-in on rebuilding this program.
And make no mistake-he’s treating this offseason like a full-scale reset. If last year was about making headlines, this year is about making changes. Expect Sanders to be aggressive in the portal, in recruiting, and in reshaping the culture around this team.
The only question now is whether that’ll be enough to get Colorado back in the win column. Because one thing’s clear: Prime isn’t interested in moral victories. He’s chasing real ones.