Deion Sanders is built for adversity. His team is not.
Deion Sanders triumphs over criticism. His players do not.
The clock is ticking on Prime Time. Not on his employment. But on the need to make significant changes in how he does business.
As his underwhelming third season draws to a close, the evaluation of Sanders must focus on the skeleton, the details, the foundation.
It is no longer about praising him for TV ratings, which are declining. It is no longer about crediting him for sellout crowds when the fans, save for a pocket of bare-chested T-shirt twirlers, exited at halftime during the last home game. It is no longer about the student applications he brings in when the university has provided $54.9 million — $27.45 million each year — in direct institutional support in 2023 and ’24, according to its NCAA financial reports.
It is about the modern staples of college football: retention, recruitment, coaching and winning.
The Buffs are trailing, if not failing, in these areas, which is unacceptable when Sanders is making $10 million per season.
CU spent on Sanders, recognizing that relevance was tied to him. But as the novelty of Coach Prime wears off, the school requires success on the field for this financial risk to pay off.
The product this year has been embarrassing based on Coach Prime’s own boasts. The Buffs were knocked out of the bowl eligibility with two games remaining.
This is why there is much at stake this offseason.
“You got the right man,” Sanders said this week. “I promise you do. Just give me an opportunity and a little more time, and I am gonna prove that to you.”
The Buffs have been so bad, social media posts — not from credible media outlets — popped up about Sanders’ job security. Outgoing athletic director Rick George responded to one, saying, “The seat is not hot. We believe in what is ahead for this program.”
George and the school have no other choice. Sanders’ contract insulates him. Even if the school wanted to fire him, no one is writing a check for roughly $33 million.
The Buffs don’t need him gone; they need him to change.
CU is teetering, and with another dud of a season, the Buffs would be staring at a sinking program and questions about how to pay the bills.
CU is banking again on the belief that Sanders knows best, even if this season has brought that notion into doubt.
Sanders deserves patience, but it must come with renewed purpose and commitment. Deion’s greatest asset at this point is Deion. His personality.
For starters, he must find a way to keep quarterback Julian Lewis, the core building block, and left tackle Jordan Seaton, who needs a rebound season to restore his draft stock.
And then get them help.
Want to beef up the roster? It is time Sanders begins leaving campus to recruit, using his charisma to make up the difference when other schools offer more money. If Bill Belichick can go to a home, there is no reason Sanders should be absolved from this duty, health willing.
Speaking of Belichick, he serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of hiring a flashy name without the right infrastructure. Sanders, like Belichick, has leaned on the Friends & Family plan when it comes to coaching and support staff, which totals 57 people, including Sanders’ personal bodyguard, per USA Today.
A bachelor of mathematics is not required to recognize the lack of return on investment.
According to 247Sports, CU’s current 2026 recruiting class ranks roughly No. 78 nationally and last in the Big 12. Sanders needs to replace celebrity coaches — not Marshall Faulk, who has improved the running backs — with grinders who are comfortable texting, talking, driving and flying in their spare time.
And Sanders must improve in the transfer portal. He shifted the paradigm of college football three years ago by overhauling his roster. Now, everyone is doing it. And often better than him.
Sanders admitted in a pregame interview on TNT with Champ Bailey that he “missed” on multiple players. No names were mentioned, but quarterback Kaidon Salter (benched multiple times) and defensive lineman Jehiem Otis (eight tackles) are the obvious suspects.
This goes back to the point of Sanders recruiting in person, getting to know the players better. Watching the effort against Utah and Arizona suggested a deeper-seated issue with culture, with too many players looking like mercenaries.
This is not a program brimming with NFL talent that can overcome “me over we” guys.
Better coaching is required, starting with Sanders. For all of the complaints about Belichick, he still receives high marks as a teacher. Sanders does not get such praise, and his clock management remains a mess.
It is obvious Sanders has to bring in a new offensive coordinator to replace Pat Shurmur, who was privately demoted earlier this month. And the case can be made to move on from defensive boss Robert Livingston, though his system will work with upgraded talent.
If both are axed, that would mean Sanders enters his fourth season with new coordinators for the third time. That type of turnover makes it hard to land good young coaches. And Sanders has not proven easy to work for (running off Sean Lewis to San Diego State was a mistake).
Coach Prime must nail these hires by making it clear he is at CU for the long haul.
Was bringing in Sanders the right decision? Of course. He brought the program back to life.
Was giving him a $54 million extension the right move? That is becoming a matter of debate.
The attention is waning. The perception is changing. Another lost season without change would definitely feel like a downhill nudge of a boulder in Boulder.
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