Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is demanding more from his players as the Buffaloes prepare for a pivotal game with No. 11 Texas Tech. With a decision still looming at quarterback, Sanders made it clear that his message to the locker room goes beyond the player taking the next snap.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Certain guys require certain things, and at certain times, you’re trying to induce manhood out of certain situations. I need you to be a man. Like, come on now, let’s man up,” Sanders said during an interview with Voice of the Buffs’ Mark Johnson.
The Colorado QB room has been a topic to talk about for a while now, especially since Shedeur Sanders, Coach Prime’s son, went to the NFL and recently Deion decided to pull Julian “JuJu” Lewis during Colorado’s 23-13 loss to Baylor.
Lewis entered the season as the Buffaloes’ QB1, but after Colorado managed only three points in the first half, Sanders turned to Isaac Wilson in an attempt to change the direction of the game.
Sanders said the decision was not emotional and he simply wanted to see whether Wilson could provide the offense with something it had been missing.
“Everyone involved in the house knows what time it is. It was like, all right, now let’s come on. We gotta score, man,” Sanders said during the interview. “It’s not about feelings or emotions or anything like that.”
Wilson looked shaky at first, but he settled in and led a 95-yard touchdown drive. He capped it with a 17-yard pass to Joseph Williams early in the fourth quarter, which tied the game at 13-13. Baylor pulled away after that.
Wilson finished 12 of 25 for 156 yards and a touchdown. Lewis went 11 of 16 for 75 yards and was sacked thrice. Neither could save Colorado from the loss, but Wilson’s second half gave Sanders something to think about.
That is where Sanders’ “man up” message becomes particularly relevant. Coach explained that different players require different approaches, especially in the current college football environment where athletes can earn money through name, image, and likeness opportunities.
“You gotta know who you’re dealing with and what you’re dealing with as well,” Sanders said.
Sanders also described how he challenged Wilson after the quarterback missed a seam throw during practice, and the coach emphasized that rather than backing away after the mistake, Wilson took another shot.
“He took a shot at it. He didn’t just look at it and say, ‘I’m not gonna do that,’ and I was happy about it,” Sanders said.
Wilson has now given Sanders a legitimate quarterback decision heading into Saturday. The coach has not committed to either Wilson or Lewis, despite reports suggesting that the competition may already be settled.
The uncertainty comes at an important moment for Colorado. The Buffaloes are 2-2 and have struggled offensively against FBS opponents, averaging just 11.3 points per game across those contests.
Lewis was expected to bring stability after showing promise as a freshman in 2025, when he threw for 589 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions across four games.
Wilson, meanwhile, brings experience from his time at Utah. He played nine games as a freshman in 2024 and completed 56.4% of his passes for 1,510 yards, 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Now, Sanders must determine which quarterback can take command of an offense facing one of its toughest tests yet. Texas Tech enters Boulder unbeaten and ranked No. 12, leaving little margin for another stalled offensive performance.
Sanders’ latest message suggests the next step belongs to the player who can respond to the opportunity and ‘man up,’ whether it be Lewis or Wilson.