WR Kaleb Mathis, the son of Colorado football DB coach Kevin Mathis, reportedly beat up backup quarterback Colton Allen in the Buffs locker room over an unpaid gambling debt Mathis had owed Allen, per a bombshell exposé from AthlonSports' Steve Corder.
"While bullying was also a common theme, there was another alleged incident involving a gambling debt between backup QB Colton Allen and wide receiver Kaleb Mathis," Corder prefaced before saying, "Days after the Seaton-Washington melee, the son of Kevin Mathis, who's CU's defensive back coach, was asked to pay Allen over a gambling debt in excess of $10,000, according to a former CU player. When Mathis refused, he allegedly proceeded to punch Allen repeatedly in the locker room, with players and coaches witnessing the assault. Allen allegedly refused to discuss the matter, fearing repercussions due to Mathis' connection to Prime’s coaching staff."
No fighting is good in a locker room, even in a competitive environment Coach Prime is trying to foster in the hallowed halls of Folsom Field. But a QB and WR fighting over a gambling debt is a far worse look than two offensive linemen fighting in an initiation-like scrap as Jordan Seaton and Savion Washington reportedly did.
Gambling reportedly rampant in Colorado football locker room
This wasn't the first time gambling has taken place in Colorado's locker room and it likely wasn't the last.
Cormani McClain, also in Corder's report for being bullied by Shilo Sanders, was seen in a video of Buffs openly gambling in the locker room.
Coach Prime isn't responsible for what his players do out of sight, but he is responsible for cleaning up his locker room if these anecdotes are true. There has yet to be a second source that has confirmed it, but details in AthlonSports' report have been discussed in media circles.
It should be noted that the players who shared these stories are no longer with the program. That doesn't mean their accounts aren't true, but there are certainly motives for throwing the Buffs under the bus.