Deion Sanders has never been shy about the realities of modern college football, but even he says the NIL and transfer portal era has forced him to slow down and adjust.
That’s a notable admission from a coach who helped define this new landscape when Colorado hired him in 2023. Sanders arrived in Boulder with his sons, Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders, after their run at Jackson State University, and he also brought Travis Hunter, the all-everything wideout/defensive back who went on to win the Heisman Trophy.
The challenge changed once those pieces had to be replaced. Colorado rode the momentum of Sanders’ first two seasons, going 9-4 in 2024, but then slipped to 3-9 in 2025. That drop-off is part of why Sanders said at Big 12 Media Days that the current era has tested his patience.
“It’s taught me tremendous patience,” Sanders said Tuesday of the NIL and transfer portal era, according to Nick Schultz of On3. “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 to this coin and make sure you flipping these kids on the right side because it’s a whole different game."
Sanders also made clear that adaptation isn’t optional. He knows the old ways won’t carry a program in this climate, and he’s willing to keep adjusting.
"You got to go forward and welcome and invite some of the new-school ways and adapt to them," Sanders said.
The recruiting picture has added another layer to the conversation. Colorado signed the No. 38-ranked class in 2025, a strong result by the program’s standards, but its 2026 class is ranked 67th, outside the top 50.
Even with that, Sanders isn’t backing off his expectations. Colorado has done well in the portal under him, and he still sounds like a coach who believes the next step is right there in front of him.
The Buffaloes may be viewed as an underdog again, but Sanders is not interested in lowering the bar.
“Oh, we better win,” Sanders said, per Nick Kosko of On3. “That’s going to be the surprise.
That’s the surprise. We better win.
We’re going to win. I love what I got.
I love what I see.”
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