When life gets tough, Coach Prime proves he’s tougher. This season, his health has been a significant concern. The 2025 offseason presented a major challenge due to a serious, undisclosed health issue. The situation kept him away from Boulder, causing him to miss crucial team events. These included  Colorado’s spring practices, which led to considerable speculation. But now, the energetic and charismatic Deion Sanders is back in Boulder, ready to drop a major fall camp announcement.

After staying away from Colorado for almost the entire summer, Deion Sanders is returning in full form. He was fighting against an undisclosed health concern at his Texas ranch. The 57-year-old coach hit X with an update fans have been waiting for a while. “Back and Feeling Great!” he declared, signaling his comeback for the season ahead.

Even though Deion Sanders attended Big 12 Media Days on July 9, he declined to talk about his health, which left fans in suspense. Yet his history of leg circulation issues that led to surgeries in 2023 and the amputation of two toes is a well-known fact. Now, he shrugs it all off and makes a bold move, as On3’s Brett McMurphy confirms it on X. “Colorado’s Deion Sanders & his medical team, including representatives from CU Anschutz & UCHealth, will hold his 1st press conference of fall camp Monday to “provide team & general updates.” 

Looks like something big is cooking in Boulder. Now, Coach Prime’s health concern is still under wraps, but this press conference might shed some light on it. Even Deion Sanders Jr. also confirmed that Prime Time will soon give out his entire health update. “He’s going to tell y’all whatever he went through very soon, and I’ve got a lot of it recorded on video,” Deion Jr. said. “So you’ll be able to see what he went through.” Until then, he’s making sure he fulfills both his father and coach duties.

Fresh from recovering and making a strong impression at Big 12 Media Days in Frisco, Texas, Coach Prime paid a brief visit to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training camp. He was there to support his son, Shilo, during his first NFL camp. His move? Stay on the sidelines and watch-out offering encouragement and chatting with Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, as Shilo quietly put in the work behind them. But that’s not the only move that’s turning heads.

Coach Prime makes big recruiting moves

After finishing up last in the 2026 class, Coach Prime is back in a recruiting race as the season nears. With fall camp approaching, Sanders is locked in a fierce battle with Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels for two coveted four-star recruits: wide receiver/defensive back CJ Sadler and defensive lineman Tufanua Inoatana Umu-Cais, both of whom will announce their decisions soon.

We all know how Coach Prime always prioritizes quality over quantity. Best part? He’s already aiming for around 20 high school commitments annually and building up his roster with impactful players from the transfer portal. But for now, the Buffs have their sights set on Sadler and Umu-Cais, seeing them as potential building blocks for the program’s future in Boulder.

Now, Umu-Cais will announce his commitment on Saturday at 4 p.m. MT, live on the CBS Sports College Football YouTube channel. And for now his top choices include Colorado, North Carolina, Oklahoma, UCLA, and Washington. “It has seemingly been a UCLA-Washington battle for Umu-Cais, but Colorado and North Carolina are still involved here,” said 247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman. Umu-Cais, a standout player at Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, has gained national recognition, receiving scholarship offers from universities such as Texas, Miami, and Tennessee. Despite this, his recruitment strategy strongly favors the West Coast, while Colorado is still a major contender.

Then there’s Sadler, who will announce his decision on August 15th. This four-star WR is an absolute package with the no. 85 national rank in his class and no. 7 among two-way players. Now you know why Coach Prime’s pushing hard for him. Well, he did visit Colorado on June 20, but it looks like Bill Belichick may have gained the upper hand. “UNC seemingly pulled ahead in this race when he officially visited campus, per sources,” said Don Callahan of Inside Carolina. Keeping Sadler after his announcement will be difficult, but Deion Sanders is not backing down either. As he aims to make his program the most attractive option for young talent. Now, let’s wait and see if he can grab commitment from these two or end up losing the battle against Bill Belichick.