When Coach Prime came to Colorado, he went with the mindset to build a team from the ground up. His arrival, initially met with high hopes, quickly turned into a storm of discontent when he decided to replace 52 scholarship players within just 5 months. Well, that was what he’d established from the get-go, telling players already at CU to “jump in the portal.” Even so, his move left a bitter taste, with a significant portion of the team feeling resentful and betrayed. And the drama has continued this year…

More than 40 players are leaving the Buffaloes for greener pastures this season. In light of all that’s happened in CU since Deion Sanders’ arrival, former Buffs wide receiver Chase Sowell painted a picture of alienation in the team. Coach Prime may have come to form a cohesive unit, but his coaching style did the exact opposite per Sowell. “We felt like it was us versus them instead of all of us together. The new guys were going against the players that had already been there. It wasn’t a team environment.” Recently, though, Sanders talked about a tough time, and Shannon Sharpe connected it to Coach Prime’s current situation.

In an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast, Coach Prime shed light on his mental health struggles back when he was playing baseball. He wasn’t in the best headspace, and instead of receiving support from those around him, he got a misplaced sense of trust. What hurt him most was being “judged by the people I thought would protect me. I thought that was my safe haven.” And right now, after a 4-8 record, he’s rebuilding again. But with his players going against him and criticizing him, Shannon Sharpe addressed Sanders’ situation on the Nightcap podcast.

Recalling Deion’s words, Sharpe said, “He thought the people he loved the most and spoke the highest of would protect him. Those are the people that’s been most outspoken against him.” Sharpe added, “That’s us,” and explained how commentators like Pat McAfee wouldn’t publicly criticize their friend Joe Rogan and vice versa to show their support. Sharpe defended Deion, noting that even controversial figures like Joe Rogan, who sit at the “top of the food chain,” haven’t faced the same level of criticism because they have a strong support system. Sharpe wasn’t done, though.

The former Broncos tight end couldn’t help but address the criticism even Shedeur Sanders faced. And Deion’s response to it. In an interview with The Athletic, former Buff Xavier Smith claimed Coach Prime didn’t even “get to know him,” adding, “He was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in themselves.” Responding to this, Shedeur wrote, “I [don’t] even remember him, tbh. Bro had to be very mid at best.” When a fan called the quarterback out for acting cold despite having a 4-8 record, Deion Sanders hit back.

“He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going?” Seeing Coach Prime’s response, Sharpe argued that the intensity of hate wouldn’t be the same if this were to do with a father-son duo like Archie and Peyton Manning. “We are hardest on people that look like us,” he concluded. Amid all the criticism, though, many came out in support of Coach Prime and his sons.  

“Don’t believe the lies” about Coach Prime, said one of his players

After a disappointing first season with the Buffaloes, many of Coach Prime’s players felt the pressure to perform was heightened by the media presence of the Sanders family: Deion’s documentary and his sons’ YouTube channel. That’s only increased the backlash they’re facing, but the Colorado head coach is no stranger to criticism.

His “jump into the portal” speech after joining CU wasn’t received well, prompting him to respond to criticism, “I don’t care, really. I mean, I’m honest; I’m brutally honest.” With the same situation happening again, he’s finding some support in the football community. Analyst Carl Reed Jr. recently spoke out, highlighting a disturbing trend. He said, “People in general, they hate rich kids. They hate kids that come from means and that people feel like their parents have positioned them.”

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He emphasized how star athletes’ children, like Shedeur, Arch Manning, or Bronny James, often face unfair criticism solely because of their famous last names, a bias that needs to be addressed. Joining Reed Jr. in his support was Tyler Brown, one of the players who transferred with the Sanders family from Jackson State to Colorado.

Brown tweeted, “Absolutely frustrating seeing all these negative articles about my coach and our program. You work hard, and you will be rewarded! Coach Prime and the wonderful staff at CU checked on me every single day and made sure I was okay when I couldn’t play! Don’t believe the lies.”