Deion Sanders is not trying to fix Colorado by only adding better athletes. He is trying to change the mindset inside the building. A year after the Buffaloes fell apart following their successful 2024 season, Sanders believes one of the biggest issues was a lack of leadership and accountability. So, his answer for this year has been clear: bring in players who have already led teams before and remove distractions wherever possible.

“It’s already helped in the spring because first of all, they understand our way and they had to adapt to that a little bit and the way we practice,” Deion Sanders said about his transfer portal additions this year on The Morning Run Live podcast. “We work. We may not be out there long, but we work. The walk-throughs are intense and focus-driven. The meetings, you’ve got to be on your game. Ain’t definitely going to be no phones. You focus like crazy, man.”

Contrary to expectations after a historic 9-win season in 2024, last year was a disappointment for Sanders. Colorado managed just three wins in 2025, and both the offense and defense were woeful. A major factor in Colorado’s tanking was the lack of locker room leadership. Unlike 2024, when Shedeur and Travis Hunter rallied the team in tough moments, the 2025 roster lacked that leadership. Partly because there were too many portal additions.

Sanders believes the solution is to recruit leaders, not simply stars. During the offseason, Colorado heavily attacked the portal again. The Buffaloes added 43 newcomers, many of whom had captained teams at their previous schools. The strategy was intentional because Sanders felt the team lacked voices capable of holding everyone accountable.

“These guys, man, they’re just different. Because we picked the mentality,” Deion Sanders added. “We didn’t just choose talent. We chose the mentality and young men who can ride with each other, who can get along. Ain’t no selfishness, no jealousy, no bull junk, man.” But bringing in tough mentality players isn’t all Deion Sanders is doing this year.

This January, Coach Prime rolled out sweeping rules for his team, unlike in 2025. Players will now face NIL reprimands and even pay cuts for social media violations and public misconduct online. Coming late to practice? Players will have to pay a $500 fine, and not showing up to practice at all will attract a $2,500 fine. Not just that, Sanders has also strictly instructed against profanity on the team or in the locker room.

“Profanity needs to stop,” Sanders said in January. “I’ve heard it myself, especially in the dining area. It needs to stop. We’re not the only ones in the cafeteria. You need to be respectful. And make sure we respect our women. If you get out of pocket and start calling our women by their first name, that’s a problem with me.”

The pressure on Sanders has never been greater. The excitement of the 2024 breakthrough raised expectations. The 2025 collapse brought criticism. CBS Sports called the portal cycle one of Sanders’ most critical stretches, as the program needed a complete reset.

Deion Sanders has a mounting task this year amid growing donor frustration

One reason 2025 was so tough for Sanders was his cancer diagnosis and recovery, which took up much of the offseason. Even after he came and started coaching at Colorado, he wasn’t fully recovered. It wasn’t until a week ago that Coach Prime announced himself “Cancer-free.”

All of it did give Coach Prime some sympathy, but Colorado expects results right away, considering its athletic department is running in a $27 million deficit, and donor frustration is mounting amid Sanders’ portal-heavy approach.

“It’s not all about the NIL (Name/Image/Likeness). It still has to be about the fans. It has to be about the university, your teammates, and the community,” longtime CU donor Dan Stroh said. “We’re not just going to write checks and hope (the players) come. You give them (that check), and the guy’s gone tomorrow. To hell with that. That ain’t happening to me. No allegiance, no money.”

For Sanders, the rebuild starts with small habits. A player paying attention in a meeting. A teammate holding another player accountable. A captain speaking up when things go wrong. That’s why the “no phones” rule matters.