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Deion Sanders isn’t catching many breaks these days. The Colorado coach is dealing with serious health issues while trying to turn around the Buffaloes‘ program. But in true Coach Prime fashion, he’s still stirring up headlines—this time over college football uniforms getting way out of hand.

At Big 12 Media Days, Sanders didn’t hold back. “Let’s do something about the uniforms,” he said, pushing for NFL-style fines in college ball. The Hall of Fame cornerback knows a thing or two about uniform violations—he racked up plenty during his two-decade NFL career. Now, he thinks college players need tighter standards because, in his eyes, it’s gotten completely out of control. Leave it to Deion to find a fresh-start angle even in something as simple as socks and sleeves.

Meanwhile, Sanders has been battling an undisclosed health issue for weeks. But on Monday, he bounced back with another motivational firestorm on Instagram: “Start fast, start fresh & start 1st. Be the leader today, not the follower. Become the example today, not the fool. Be the winner today & not the loser. Make your day—and that includes your peace, your plans, your purpose, your praise! Let’s go.” And the timing?

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It hits different—because just as Coach Prime is firing folks up, reports out of Cleveland suggest Shedeur Sanders isn’t impressing Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski. That’s a shift from just last month, when Stefanski was full of praise on the Cleveland Browns Daily podcast. “He’s showing up early, staying late,” Stefanski said. “He’s got great energy, a great kid, working his tail off, and he’s playing really well, too.” Stefanski even gushed about Shedeur bonding with Joe Flacco, calling their QB room dynamic “hilarious” and joking that Shedeur was too young to remember Flacco’s glory days. It all felt genuine.

But now? With training camp around the corner, the vibe’s changed. Stefanski may like Shedeur, but it’s clear he doesn’t trust him to lead this team—not with Cleveland’s brutal schedule, not with this defense, and not when safer bets like Flacco and Pickett are waiting in the wings. If Shedeur had really won Stefanski over, this conversation would sound a whole lot different.

 

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Instead, he’s sliding down the depth chart. Trade whispers are starting to bubble around Berea. With Deion’s latest motivational push, maybe it’s time for Shedeur to start crafting his own plans. This isn’t the first time Coach Prime has shared motivation posts. He always shares these as signs of changing life’s motto. Most coaches would crumble losing their star quarterback son to the NFL.

Deion Sanders refuses to let negativity win. The Colorado coach watched his sons facing brutal draft disappointment, but he’s turning that pain into pure motivation. Speaking on former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel‘s podcast from his Texas estate, Sanders opened up about watching both boys get overlooked. Shedeur Sanders was supposed to be first-round material. Instead, he slipped all the way to the fifth round before Cleveland grabbed him. His middle son, Shilo, didn’t even get drafted. Tampa Bay signed him as an undrafted free agent. Most dads would be crushed. Not Coach Prime.

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Deion Sanders: Is his push for NFL-style fines in college football a game-changer or overreach?

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Sanders made it crystal clear that doubters just lit a fire under his boys. They’re built for this kind of adversity, he said. The 57-year-old took to Instagram with a message that hit differently: “Be ready for a new thing that God wants to do thru u. Be available. #CoachPrime.” The accompanying post read: “It’s Monday and we are ready to go. Ready for new challenges, new beginnings, new things. Be willing to accept new ways, new thought processes, and new understanding. When you open your heart to this newness, GOD will fill it with newness.” Without Shedeur, Deion Sanders is using that pain as rocket fuel for his Colorado rebuild.

Coach Prime’s first media blitz in three months reveals his post-Shedeur blueprint

Deion Sanders broke his three-month media silence with typical swagger. The Colorado coach sat down with ESPN analysts and wasted no time flexing his coaching staff. He name-dropped Robert Livingston, Pat Shurmur, Warren Sapp, and Marshall Faulk—then casually dropped Byron Leftwich and Mike Zimmer into the mix. Those last two? Not accidental. Coach Prime’s been actively recruiting them to Boulder.

In a calculated move, Sanders brought both quarterbacks—Julian Lewis and Kaiden Salter—to media day. The message was loud and clear: the QB competition is wide open. Prime doesn’t know who’ll start under center, and that battle is as real as it gets.

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The elephant in the room was obvious—Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, and Shilo Sanders are all off to the NFL. But Coach Prime didn’t flinch. “They were great players. We have a better team,” Sanders said. “There’s a difference between great players and a great team. We have a better team, but we can never replace those types of players. It may take three players on offense to replace a Travis Hunter. It may take two players to replace a Shedeur Sanders—and that’s what we brought here.” He then highlighted cornerback DJ McKinney as his next breakout star. Sanders praised McKinney as “long and rangy,” and raved about his practice habits. “He welcomes every challenge,” Prime added.

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When ESPN’s Matt Barrie pressed him about the constant roster turnover, Sanders laid out his formula: “Smart, tough, fast, disciplined, with character.” His approach is old school—and he wants players to match it. Prime also acknowledged that his legendary playing career gives him credibility, but it’s not something he lets players forget. “I would not have made it as far as I did if I didn’t put in the work. Sometimes I have to remind them how much work it took,” he said.

Coach Prime isn’t just replacing stars in Boulder—he’s building something deeper. A program. A culture. One that’s meant to outlast any individual name on the roster.

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Deion Sanders: Is his push for NFL-style fines in college football a game-changer or overreach?

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