Deion Sanders already facing brutal hot-seat whispers as season kicks off
Deion Sanders transformed Colorado, but now he faces his biggest challenge yet: proving the Buffaloes can win without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
D eion Sanders helped change the recent history of the Colorado program, restoring national relevance and guiding the team back to a bowl game. However, after losing two of the most important and high-profile players of the program’s modern era — his son Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter — the Buffaloes endured a disappointing season.
Now, the head coach is facing increasing pressure and speculation about his future, especially if Colorado fails to show immediate improvement this season.
Deion Sanders needs answers after losing Shedeur and Travis Hunter
When Sanders took over the Colorado program in 2023, the team was coming off one of its worst stretches in recent history. The Buffaloes entered with a 1-11 record and had posted just one winning season in the previous six years: the 2020 campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, when they finished 4-2 .
After losing their two biggest stars, Sanders will have the challenge of proving he can keep the program competitive without Shedeur as his quarterback and without Hunter as the team’s top offensive and defensive weapon.
Jarvis Davis, host of Locked on Georgia Tech, suggested Sanders could begin facing more pressure if Colorado loses its Week 1 matchup against Georgia Tech.
“When those guys walked out the door, what are you going to do?” Davis said. “What is it? Where are you? I think that if he isn’t able to do anything in back-to-back years, people will start questioning your true capabilities.”
Additionally, CBS Sports reporter Richard Johnson noted that Sanders had already faced rumors about a possible firing before the start of this season, a situation also influenced by his health concerns.
“Sanders beat bladder cancer last year, but that was not the first health concern of his coaching career,” Johnson wrote. “He had multiple toes amputated while at Jackson State. That, combined with Colorado’s poor play, has made Sanders’ status constant fodder for conversations among industry sources. Many were convinced 2025 would be his last, but Sanders has made a habit throughout his life of zigging when people expect him to zag.”
Colorado is once again rebuilding its roster
Since arriving at Colorado, Sanders has used the transfer portal as a key tool to rebuild the roster. During the most recent offseason, he made another major overhaul, bringing in 40 transfer players , including Danny Scudero , who led the NCAA in receiving yards last season at San Jose State .
The offense will also feature a new face at the most important position on the field. According to Fox Sports, Julian Lewis will be the starting quarterback in Week 1, with the young talent showing flashes during his first season.
“At quarterback, Julian Lewis will get the Week 1 start,” the report noted. “As a highly touted freshman last season, Lewis completed 55.3% of his passes for 589 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions across four games. The Buffs went 0-2 in his two starts.”
The defense underwent an even deeper transformation. Of the 44 defensive players who were on Colorado’s roster last season, only eight are returning , meaning most of the expected starters will be new faces.
With a revamped roster and without its two biggest stars, Deion Sanders faces one of the biggest challenges of his tenure in Boulder: proving he can build a winning program beyond Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
