After Colorado’s 36–20 loss to Houston, Deion Sanders, who is never one to hide behind kind words, made it obvious how poorly his team played. “We’re not struggling. We’re getting our butts kicked,” Sanders told reporters after the game, refusing to sugarcoat the truth. The Buffaloes’ defense allowed 431 total yards during the game, including 183 rushing yards in the first quarter only. Sanders didn’t hold back when he called out the defense as “hot garbage.” “It wasn’t good. I’m at a loss for words,” and admitted that it wasn’t very good.

With star players like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter off the roster, Colorado’s rebuilding process is costing more than expected. “We’ve got to do better in every phase of the game. We’ve got to do better preparing our kids. We’ve got to do better, period.” His honesty sparked louder questions about whether constant shuffling are starting to crack team morale.

In a recent post on X by CBS Sports College Football, Danny Kenell commented on coach Deion Sanders’ management of the quarterback room. He said, “Coach Prime has never coached anybody except his son at quarterback… he’s never had to deal with quarterbacks before.” The “revolving door” approach to quarterbacking poses a threat to more than just the offense as Ryan Staub struggles to find a rhythm, going 4-for-14 on third downs and failing to sustain drives.

On the field, Staub’s struggles were visible. Staub admitted, “Throughout the game, we weren’t good enough on third down..I can’t do that to the defense.” With Salter no longer starting and five-star recruit Julian Lewis sitting on the sidelines, morale is already dipping. Players who are supposed to contribute are left unsure of their place, which raises the possibility of transfers and adds to instability. “And I also wonder what it means in that locker room, not to mention what it means for the transfer portal. Implications. Because Julian Lewis was a five-star who was a big recruit for him, who I’m sure thought he was going to be the first guy off the bench, which he was last week, and now they go to the third stringer who’s already been there.”

Players who feel ignored or thrown into uncertainty may lose confidence as a result of rash decisions like switching QBs this often.  There are consequences that go beyond the field. As Kenell cautioned, “I think it’s just a dynamic that Coach Prime is going to have to manage very delicately, or else you could lose the season even worse than we thought it could.” The team is obviously becoming more frustrated with the quarterback circus going on, which makes it difficult for players to get into a rhythm. Kanell also highlighted the same.

Coach Prime’s rocky rebuild of Colorado

There is more to the root cause than just one bad game. Sanders admitted, “Staub didn’t play well. I saw what you saw. That wasn’t his best, to say the least.” But publicly calling out a young quarterback carries its own risks. Criticism aired in front of cameras doesn’t just sting the player; it can ripple through the locker room, sowing doubt and tension.

At a moment like this, when Colorado is already reeling, the quarterback room needs confidence and stability more than blunt honesty. Sometimes, the stronger move for a head coach is to keep the hard talk behind closed doors and offer public backing when the team is under fire.

The road to recovery doesn’t get easier in the future. They might actually be the underdogs in all the games that are left, excluding Wyoming. There was always going to be a void after Hunter and Shedeur left, but it’s now obvious that there isn’t any reliable talent in the wings who could duplicate their success. Coach Prime’s Buffs are currently left to try to rebuild a team that is still figuring out its identity.