Deion Sanders might be all smiles and locker-room love, but do not confuse that charisma for softness. When commitment slips, Deion brings the hammer. As Colorado enforces a pricey fine system in Boulder, two soon-to-be NFL-bound Ohio State stars shared their take on Prime’s tough-love philosophy.

“You think that should be going in college in every school?” asked NFL-bound Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs, who has declared for the NFL Draft on the Downs 2 Business podcast.

“Yeah,” said Indianapolis Colts wideout Josh Downs. “Y’all able to make the colleges the league with no restrictions. They’re paying solid starters $500,000 or more. That’s good money.” 

But again, it’s a league with “no restrictions.” Josh highlights that in college football, players enjoy considerable freedom thanks to the transfer portal and NIL deals. By comparison, college football offers more flexibility than the league.

Caleb argues that while Deion is introducing restrictions, college football players are not earning NFL-level money, to which Josh responds by dropping the figure they are earning through NIL. His argument is that once players are earning real money, they should expect real consequences. 

“Think about it,” Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate reframed the entire discussion, focusing on consequences rather than money. “You’re late for a workout; the worst you could do is get kicked out of the locker room.” 

In the NFL, mistakes can cost you your job and your income entirely. But with Deion imposing strict rules, the worst-case scenario is being benched, fined, or temporarily removed from the locker room.

After going just 3-9 in 2025, Coach Prime is now trying every possible way for a rebound. For their 2026 mission, Deion’s team considers compromising with discipline unacceptable. The Buffaloes implemented an NFL-style fine system. It ranges from $400 for a missed meeting to $1,500 for skipping treatment.

Sanders is clearly setting a new standard of accountability for a roster that includes 42 new transfer portal additions, immediately laying down the law for the newcomers. Deion immediately laid out his expectations for the newcomers.

“Don’t wear your old team’s gear in this facility,” Deion kept things straight. “That’s disrespectful. That would be like your lady who you have currently wearing her [ex-boyfriend’s] stuff. How do you feel about that?”

While the Buckeyes players support Deion’s newly adopted fine structure, one of their former head coaches has become critical.

Urban Meyer questions Deion Sanders’ fine system

However, not everyone is on board with Prime’s methods. Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer, who never coached against Sanders, expressed shock at the policy. 

“I’m shocked that this, first of all, became public,” Meyer said during the Triple Option podcast. “If you’re fining people a lot, you’ve got bigger problems than collecting a couple thousand bucks.” 

According to Meyer, relying on fines to enforce discipline is a red flag for a program’s culture. It wasn’t just former college football head coaches who took issue; lawyers also raised concerns with Deion’s new discipline system.

Sports lawyer Darren Heitner questioned that if programs can punish, control schedules, and enforce rules, then the player is functioning like an employee. In that case, Deion Sanders’ Colorado must treat them as compensated labor, ensuring compliance with labor protections and related requirements.

With mixed reactions pouring in, it remains to be seen whether Coach Prime will stand by his decision.