Deion Sanders is no stranger to change, but the version of college football he’s coaching in now has forced him to keep adjusting in real time.
At Big 12 Media Days, the Colorado coach said the shifting NIL and transfer-portal landscape has sharpened his approach, especially when it comes to understanding what drives young players.
“As a coach, patience. It has taught me tremendous patience.
It’s taught me that a lot of young men want to benefit from the game financially. A lot of young men want to benefit from the game because they love the game, and you've got to really understand there are two sides of this coin, and make sure you're flipping these kids on the right side, because it's a whole different game, and sometimes you can't get stuck in the old ways."
"You gotta go forward and welcome and invite some of the new school ways and adapt to them. Thank God, I got kids.
I got five of them to keep me on my toes, keep me on my game, and keep me hip to what's coming and what's going on right now. So I'm thankful for that.
And I got a little grandson; he can't really talk right now, but he can ask. So I'm thankful that they're keeping me on point.”
Sanders has lived both sides of the money conversation. During his playing days, he could only profit from his name and image once he got to the NFL. Now he’s working with endorsement deals from Aflac and has his own Nike signature shoe, the Nike Air Diamond Turf.
He also turned his profile into a broadcasting job, spending time on the NFL Network’s pre-game show before Thursday Night Football games.
That background makes him a natural fit for the NIL era he now has to manage at Colorado, where the business side reaches into recruiting, the transfer portal and even the locker room. Some Buffaloes players have appeared on Taco Bell cups through a partnership with the university, and quarterback Julian Lewis has an NIL deal with Starbucks.
Colorado has taken some hits in the portal, losing wide receiver Omarion Miller to Arizona State and offensive tackle Jordan Seaton to LSU. But the Buffs also brought in a wave of additions, including wide receivers Kam Perry, DeAndre Moore and Danny Scudero, along with defensive backs Naeten Mitchell, Boo Carter and Randon Fontenette. Colorado also kept Lewis, who is expected to start in 2026.
The recruiting side has picked up too. Sanders and his staff signed fewer than 15 prospects in each of their first two high school recruiting classes, but the Buffaloes now have 20 commits in the class of 2027.
That group is currently ranked No. 3 in the Big 12 and includes four-star quarterback Andre Adams, four-star offensive lineman Dewey Young and four-star wide receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray.
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Marions track record at previous stops is part of why Lindsay is intrigued, with the new play caller having helped improve rushing attacks at UNLV and Sacramento State. Colorado will get an early test of that vision in its opener against Georgia Tech, a matchup that should offer a first glimpse at whether the staff move fans had been waiting for can actually change the feel of this offense. [Read more 🡒]
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Sanders has made it clear he expects more from this group, and the opener at Georgia Tech on Sept. 3 should give an early read on whether the new-look offense and defense are ready to move past the inconsistency. Julian Lewis is set to be the focal point at quarterback, with Brennan Marion and Chris Marve taking over as coordinators, but the ranking underscores how much Colorado still has to prove before anyone can assume the reset is complete. [Read more 🡒]
Barrington Hargress Just Gave Buffs Fans A Reason For Hope
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Josiah Sanders, Ian Inman and Jalin Holland were all part of that upbeat assessment, and the broader message was clear: Colorado believes its returning core has spent the offseason attacking the areas that held it back. For a team trying to turn hard work into real results, those internal gains matter, especially with Hargress among the veterans expected to help steer the offense when the new season arrives. [Read more 🡒]