Colorado football stands at a crossroads ahead of the 2025 season. CFB’s most talked-about entities—Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders—have gone pro. This year, Deion Sanders will be faced with a brand new team and one that he has to work on a little more than his last two. Coach Prime joining the Buffaloes was a milestone for the program because that man was bound to change its overall culture and perception in the public. And he did just that in both his 2023 and 2024 seasons. But even now, when the environment at Boulder is in stark contrast to that of his previous years, Coach Prime is shutting down skeptics about his career.

Coach Prime did not have a stellar start in Colorado in his debut year. Before that, he worked wonders in his last two years at Jackson State, leading the Tigers to an 11-2 and 12-1 finish. But 2024 showed some fighting spirit. He had 9 wins and also tried hard for a playoff spot. Sanders ultimately missed out on that after Iowa State won the tie-breaking game. But that season also saw Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy. Beyond that, Coach Prime also impacted Colorado football culturally, bringing it back to life since the Mike MacIntyre era.

And that’s why Deion Sanders is in no mood to have plans for anywhere else. “I told you I wasn’t going nowhere. I don’t know why y’all didn’t believe me,” he told the press one month ago. He reshared the clip on his Instagram story recently, further cementing his stance. “I love it here, I adore it here. I wanted to get some things done before I was able to do what we did long-term,” he added further. Sanders has become the face of Colorado football and will be a memorable one regardless of how long he is at Boulder.

Financially, Deion Sanders has been a huge blessing to the program. All of Colorado’s home games were sold out in 2023, a first for the program. Last year, the school reported a profit of a whopping $8.24 million, doing more than just covering the deficit of $9.89 million in 2023. A huge part of that was Deion Sanders. It also raked in a whopping $31.2 million in ticket sales alone—a testament to the ‘Coach Prime’ effect. If and when Deion Sanders does leave the program, he will take all of that away, and more. His tenure is significantly different, especially being one of the few Black coaches in program history.

This year, Sanders’ star power in the roster is no longer available. Along with Shedeur and Travis, WRs Jimmy Horn Jr. and LaJohntay Wester are also off to the NFL. But it’s not just roster losses that Coach Prime has to worry about.

Player losses aren’t the only thing plaguing Deion Sanders’ 2025 run

Coach Prime couldn’t make much of a splash with the Buffs in the offseason. He and the program were caught in the media storm that had Shedeur at its center. But that’s not all he has to worry about. In ESPN’s latest Nig 13 power rankings, Colorado placed 12th out of 16 teams. Yes, the lack of the now-pro talent does play a role, but that doesn’t mean the returning production is fully equipped to match the expectations.

“[The] conversation I would like to have is they didn’t have no run game, dog. They didn’t have no run game,” highlighted FOX analyst RJ Young. Coach Sanders has to be able to smooth that wrinkle out before 2025 begins. Even with that run game, the Buffaloes noted a marked improvement, with a 9-4 finish. “Forget the pass protection. Forget that part. They were dead last in running the football last year, and they still won nine games,” Young argued. “What happens if they get even a small rushing attack?” To quell these growing problems, Coach Prime has shopped in the portal and has some formidable talent to work on.

“What you do if you’re Prime? You went and got Marshall Faulk, which immediately upgrades your running back credibility and your ability to recruit to the position. You changed your offensive line coach; you brought in Warren Sapp full-time. And oh yeah, you’re the head coach. You are also a Pro Football Hall of Famer. So that’s three Pro Football Hall of Famers on one staff,” Young noted. Colorado’s stature in CFB has increased by a lot on the personnel side. However, on the football field, it is a little slow.

Joining star QB recruit Julian Lewis is WR Kaidon Salter from Liberty. The room last year was pretty deep, but it’s also losing three important faces. This offseason changes stand to guide the way Colorado will fare in the season. Players are added, and so is staff. Deion Sanders, once again, has to know his boys from the inside out, as he did with his former team’s players. And until Coach Prime truly turns the ship around in Colorado, he’s not going anywhere.