The Black and Gold Day in Boulder has typically been a high-energy, hard-hitting spectacle. But it felt unusually subdued this time around. The Colorado Buffaloes delivered a surprisingly flat and conservative spring scrimmage, lacking the spark and intensity fans have come to expect. For a program led by the ever-electric Deion Sanders, his alum Chad Brown brought a blunt reality to the game’s muted tempo.

On the latest episode of Zero 2 Sixty, Brown laid out his read on where the program stands heading into the fall. He has watched Sanders cycle through multiple roster-building strategies, and this latest version was him cautiously hopeful.

“You know this is now like the third or fourth different style of roster that we’ve gone through,” Chad said. “And so now this one is, we’re going to get guys from lower level schools with a lot of playing expectations. Hopefully, this one pays off by going after disgruntled guys from big-name schools. That didn’t pay off. That was the last style. So, I’m hoping this style pays off. Lots of guys with lots of playing experience, lots of snaps and plays on the field. So, I’m hoping this works out. Now, obviously, I know they kept things vanilla at the spring game. I’m interested to see this go-go offense and how that equates to success in the Big 12. So, I’m optimistic.”

Brown’s caution makes sense given the numbers. Colorado cratered from 9-4 in 2024 to 3-9 in 2025. The fallout was severe as 36 players left through the transfer portal. Sanders responded with a near-total roster overhaul, bringing in more than 50 new players, including 43 portal commitments and a high school recruiting class. Only a fraction of last year’s scholarship is back. The hire of Brennan Marion as offensive coordinator has reshaped the team’s offensive identity. But whether this group can compete in the Big 12, let alone make a CFP push, remains to be seen.

“We’re going to make a strong push in high school football this year,” Marion said. “We made a decent late push when I got here. The one thing that I’ve loved since I’ve been here is that Coach Prime has been involved in every recruiting decision, he’s watched every guy and verified with his eyes to make sure it’s the right player coming into the program.”

Why was it a slow Spring for the Buffs?

While the Spring practice noticed a lot of scuffles between the players, the Spring game was the complete opposite of it. For a change, they did not televise the spring game that took place on April 11, and they also made tickets free for Folsom Field. After being extra enthusiastic about playing an in-house game, Sanders settled for a quiet spring under his rein.

Coach Prime, who dealt with a lot of health scares this year, including his recurring blood clots, seems to be in good recovery. After battling cancer last season, he was out most of the last season. He lost 14 pounds because of his health, but is back in shape now with a little gain in weight, too. More recently, he acknowledged he has more “pep in my step.”

“Look a little younger, a little more spry, a little more energetic,” Sanders said.

With so many new faces in the building, the coaching staff has made team chemistry a priority this offseason. And the players are buying in too. Linebacker Tyler Martinez hosted a barbecue at his place and nearly 50 players showed up.

“We’re just going to open up our houses,” safety Ben Finneseth said. “Fishing, boating, wiffle ball, church, and rock climbing might be on the agenda. Just trying to get everyone around each other is the biggest thing.”