Colorado head coach Deion Sanders missed significant time with the team in early 2025 due to a high-grade, non-muscle invasive bladder cancer diagnosis.
The legendary football player had surgery in May to remove and reconstruct his bladder. By July, doctors declared him cured.
He lost about 25 pounds but still toughed it out and coached the 2025 season, which didn't go as he planned.
Colorado went 3-9 in Deion's worst season (record-wise) with the university. Much of that stemmed from poor roster construction and his limited input after being away from the team for months.
The Buffs limped to a 1-8 record in Big 12 play, with their only win coming against then-ranked Iowa State. That brief success proved fleeting—they got blown out in their next games, including brutal losses to Utah (53-7) and Arizona (52-17), which kicked off a five-game losing streak to close out the season.
The quarterback room was a mess, largely because Julian Lewis wasn't ready to take over and senior Kaidon Salter couldn't find consistency.
Their defense was one of the worst in recent memory, giving everyone 2022 flashbacks. They couldn't stop the run to save their lives, surrendering 30.5 points and 425.7 total yards per game.
This led to a mass exodus on the defensive side
Colorado overhauled their entire defense, bringing back only a handful of players. Instead of recruiting Power Four backups, they prioritized proven production.
Deion has been more involved with recruitment this year, and it shows in the Well Off videos—you can see how much more personal and hands-on he's become with the team.
In a recent Colorado team meeting, he urged the players to show up for the women's basketball team's big game Saturday night against No. 20 Texas Tech.
Coach Prime and the squad will be in the building…What’s your excuse? 👀🦬 pic.twitter.com/ZzsJf50bJk
— Colorado Women's Basketball 🦬 (@CUBuffsWBB) February 20, 2026
They've even shown clips of Coach Prime attending dual-sport athlete Ernest Campbell's track meets.
DUAL SPORT DAWG 😤
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) February 20, 2026
The Herd & Coach Prime showed out for Ernest ⚡️@ErnestTheFlash x #GoBuffs pic.twitter.com/rfyUuqKEJE
Even many of the players, including wide receiver Hykeem Williams, say the team feels like a family—like brothers who help and support each other.
Deion is trying to create a new culture at CU where the guys play for each other instead of chasing personal accolades. You can't help but be excited for what the season will bring with this mindset and philosophy—something that's been desperately missing from their program.