As the college football transfer portal gets ready to swing open again, Deion Sanders is hitting pause-at least for a moment. Far from the buzz and pressure of Boulder, Coach Prime is spending his offseason bass fishing at his Texas estate, soaking up family time and stepping out of the spotlight after a rollercoaster year.
It’s a rare stretch of calm for one of the sport’s most electric and talked-about figures. Sanders, 58, is coming off a much different kind of offseason than the one he faced a year ago, when he was recovering from a serious cancer scare.
This winter, he’s been seen on social media enjoying downtime with his daughter Deiondra, his grandson Snow, and his mother, Connie. For a man whose brand is built on relentless energy and constant motion, these quiet moments feel almost out of character-but they also speak to a coach who knows when to reset.
That serenity, though, stands in stark contrast to the situation unfolding back in Colorado. The Buffaloes are in flux-again.
More than 25 players have entered the transfer portal, including several key starters, following a tough 3-9 campaign in 2025. It was the worst season of Sanders’ coaching career, and it left the roster with gaping holes across multiple positions.
With the portal about to open, the path forward isn’t entirely clear. Colorado needs reinforcements, but the blueprint for how they’ll reload remains under wraps.
Off the field, Sanders has made headlines as well. He recently went public with his relationship with actress Karrueche Tran, even flying out to meet her parents-a notable move for a coach who’s long preached discipline and tunnel vision during the recruiting grind. It’s a personal moment in the midst of a professional crossroads.
Family has been front and center in other ways, too. Sanders traveled to Cleveland to watch his son, Shedeur Sanders, suit up as a starting quarterback for the Browns.
After a much-debated draft slide, Shedeur is starting to carve out his place in the NFL-and his dad has been right there on the sidelines, beaming with pride. It’s a full-circle moment for the Sanders family, and one that’s clearly meant a lot to Coach Prime.
Still, the football questions are looming. Back in 2023, Sanders made headlines by flipping nearly the entire Colorado roster through the transfer portal, injecting new life into a program that had been stuck in neutral.
But things have changed. The portal is more crowded now, the competition stiffer.
Coaches like James Franklin and Lane Kiffin are working the same angles, and the arms race for top-tier talent is more intense than ever.
So, as the portal opens and Colorado looks to regroup, the big question is this: Does the “Prime Effect” still carry the same weight it did when Sanders first landed in Boulder? Or has the challenge of rebuilding in today’s college football landscape grown even steeper?
One thing’s for sure-Deion Sanders isn’t done. But with the Buffaloes facing another pivotal offseason, the next chapter in Boulder is going to demand more than charisma and Instagram moments. It’s going to take strategy, savvy, and maybe a little bit of that old Coach Prime magic.