With the 2025 season officially in the books, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders isn’t wasting any time turning the page. After a 24-14 loss to Kansas State capped off a disappointing 3-9 campaign, Sanders made it clear: the rebuild starts now.
And the foundation? Mentality.
“Personnel, coaching, everything - it starts with mentality,” Sanders said postgame, setting the tone for what promises to be a pivotal offseason in Boulder.
It’s a stark contrast from just a year ago. In 2024, the Buffaloes were 9-4 and riding high behind a veteran core that included Shedeur Sanders, Shilo Sanders, Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, LaJohntay Wester, LaVonta Bentley, and, of course, Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. That group didn’t just bring talent - they brought leadership, edge, and a belief that showed up every Saturday.
This year, that mental toughness didn’t carry over. The leadership void was evident, and the record reflected it.
“Leaders,” senior linebacker Jeremiah Brown said when asked what was missing in 2025. “Leaders I feel like we missed.”
Brown would know. He’s been with Sanders since Jackson State, and he’s seen firsthand what it takes to build a winning culture. Now, Sanders and his staff are tasked with rebuilding that identity from the ground up.
“Personnel is mentality,” Sanders emphasized. And in today’s college football landscape - where the transfer portal and NIL deals are reshaping rosters faster than ever - finding players with the right mindset is as tough as it is crucial.
That’s where the challenge lies. It’s not just about recruiting talent. It’s about identifying competitors who bring more than just stats - players who lead, who grind, who elevate the locker room.
“It takes a little more work,” Sanders admitted, when it comes to finding mentally tough players through recruiting.
And it’s not just about bringing new players in - it’s about keeping the right ones already in the building. Take left tackle Jordan Seaton, for example.
Sanders didn’t name names, but he acknowledged the reality: top players are going to be targeted by other programs. That’s the new normal.
“You’ve got to understand, when a guy leaves a program that selected him, picked him, or got him out the portal, he leaves for a multitude of reasons,” Sanders said. “The number one reason people leave is money.
It’s not a disdain for staff, a disdain for players; it’s money. Let’s just be honest, man.
Let’s stop sugarcoating this foolishness.”
It’s a blunt, honest assessment - and it speaks to the broader challenge facing every college coach in this new era. But for Sanders, it all comes back to building a team that’s mentally ready to compete.
“We’ve got to do a better job of getting these guys ready and preparing them and getting them knowledgeable,” he said. “To understand what’s happening, what’s coming, and physically able to go get it and to stop it. I mean, it helps with a bag, but it helps with having the right personnel on the sidelines, as well as playing the game.”
Brown, who’s been through it all with Sanders, believes his coach will get it right. He’s confident the Buffs will bring in the right kind of players this offseason - guys who want to win, who embrace the grind, and who reflect the mentality Sanders demands.
“He’s gonna bring those guys in with the right mentality,” Brown said. “He dealt with a lot this offseason, so he wasn’t able to be as thorough as he usually was with us, and he told us about that. So he knows this offseason, the guys that he brings in are going to be that mentality that he wants.”
That process starts now. The early signing period for high school recruits opens Wednesday, and it marks the first step in reshaping Colorado’s roster for 2026. For Sanders, it’s not just about flipping the record - it’s about flipping the mindset.
The message is clear: if you don’t have the mentality, you won’t be part of the mission.