Deion Sanders is making the message plain as Colorado heads deeper into training camp: don’t let the moment change who you are.
During a recent team meeting, Sanders laid out the standard he wants from the Buffaloes as the 2026 season approaches.
“If there’s something that isn’t going right, who are you through that?” Sanders asked.
“You shouldn’t change with the environment, you shouldn’t change with circumstances, you shouldn’t change with the trials and tribulations. You should be consistent with who you are.”
That kind of message matters now more than ever for Colorado. The first major offseason checkpoints are almost here, with Sanders and several players set to be in Frisco, Texas, for Big 12 Media Days on July 7.
As that date gets closer, position battles will start sorting themselves out, and some players will feel their chances at starting jobs begin to fade. Sanders’ challenge is for them to handle that pressure without losing their edge.
Colorado has already lived through what happens when the foundation isn’t strong enough. The 2025 season was over before it really got going, with leadership and team chemistry missing from the mix. Sanders also missed offseason camp while dealing with bladder cancer, which only widened the gap.
The problems didn’t stop there. Team chemistry kept fraying as the season went on, and a week 9 bye helped send the rest of the year off the rails.
That’s why the Buffs need a different answer in 2026, especially with a demanding Big 12 schedule waiting for them. They have to be able to bounce back when things go wrong, and Sanders’ message was built for exactly that.
There are signs Colorado is already moving in the right direction. Despite major roster turnover and little continuity, the Buffs have seen leadership and strong chemistry start to take hold. Sanders also hosted a leadership retreat at his Texas ranch during the last week of June, where several team leaders heard from NFL cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
With Sanders back around the program, the mood has improved, and the advice he’s giving now is aimed at sharpening the group before the real grind begins.
If Colorado can hold onto that mindset and keep building on its chemistry, it will head into 2026 with a chance to handle the Big 12 schedule ahead.
The Buffaloes open the season on the road against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.
In Other News...
Coach Prime Still Has One Massive Colorado Decision To Make
Colorados roster has plenty of new faces and a fresh coaching staff heading into the 2026 season, but the biggest questions are still the old familiar kind: who starts, and where. Deion Sanders and his staff have spent the offseason trying to sort out the pieces after adding talent through transfers, and fall camp is expected to bring the first real answers on several spots that will shape how competitive this team can be.
The uncertainty is especially noticeable on defense and up front, where the Buffaloes still need to settle a second cornerback next to Cree Thomas and find the best five-man combination on the offensive line. Those decisions can quietly define a season, and Colorado is approaching camp with enough options to feel hopeful, but not enough clarity to feel settled. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Ramsey Just Gave Deion Sanders And Colorado A Huge Endorsement
Jalen Ramseys visit to Colorados leadership retreat gave Deion Sanders another high-profile voice in the room, and it came at a useful time for a program trying to reset the tone after a difficult season. The NFL cornerback spoke to Buffaloes players during the retreat and made clear that Sanders was a major influence on the way he learned to play, which is the kind of endorsement that still carries real weight with a college roster trying to find its edge.
For Colorado, the message mattered because Sanders has already shown he can shape defensive backs into NFL-caliber players, and Ramseys presence only reinforced that reputation. The retreat was designed to build leadership inside the locker room, and hearing from a player of Ramseys stature gave the Buffaloes a reminder of what Sanders can mean beyond the sideline, even if the bigger question for this group is how quickly that message turns into something steadier on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Is Suddenly Winning A Recruiting Fight Fans Know Well
Colorados 2027 recruiting work is starting to look a lot more like the kind of class that can change the conversation around the program. The Buffaloes are up to No. 35 nationally in the latest 247Sports team rankings, a clear step forward from where the 2026 group finished, and theyve done it with 19 verbal commitments already in the fold. Four of those pledges carry four-star status, a sign that Deion Sanders and his staff are not just filling numbers but landing players with real upside.
The bigger takeaway for Colorado is how often it has been able to stay in the fight for names that matter, even when the process does not go perfectly. The Buffs have taken some hits on the trail, but they have also answered with key commitments that keep the class in the Big 12s upper tier, according to national outlets. The next question is whether this momentum can hold through the rest of the cycle, because the difference between a good class and a program-shifting one is usually decided in the final stretch. [Read more 🡒]