Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes were expected to face a challenging season this year after losing several key players to the NFL. After a 9-4 record in 2024, Coach Prime’s squad is just 3-4 this season so far.
After a phenomenal 24-17 win over No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones on Oct. 12, the Buffaloes will next face the Utah Utes on Saturday to continue the winning streak. However, the squad’s overall winning mindset has become a major topic of discussion.
Why Did Ex-Buff Star Jordan Domineck Call Out Deion Sanders’ squad?
Colorado still has five regular-season games left, but some players appear to have lost their spark. During Tuesday’s “Locked on Buffs podcast,” former Colorado standout Jordan Domineck criticized current Buffaloes players for being “lazy.”
“It definitely concerns the people within the organization because we’re coming into a week where it’s a huge game, and we have to play,” Domineck said. “We don’t want to start the week off slow, cuz every time you start a week off slow, it always ends up starting a game off slow.”
“What I was told by a coach was that every day you practice is a quarter. So Monday is your first quarter. Tuesday is your second quarter…And that’s the way that you have to attack each day. Each day is a new tempo. So you can’t come in and be lazy.”
Coach Prime inherited a 1-11 program in 2022 and led the squad to a 4-8 record in his first season, followed by a phenomenal nine-win campaign last year. Although the decline in 2025 may be disappointing, giving up midway through the year is unacceptable.
Domineck’s rant came in response to former defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo’s fiery message to current Buffs players after Monday’s practice.
“Y’all can’t be coming out here timid,” Nwankwo said. “ Y’all seniors, you’re not going to get this back. Some of y’all, you ain’t going to the league- the hard reality is going to hit you. You can’t take this for granted.”
“A lot of y’all are lazier than a b****. I’m sorry, I can’t hold my tongue…Y’all gotta do better.”
Nwankwo anchored CU’s defensive line in the 2024 season, recording 31 tackles (4.5 tackles for loss) and 2.5 sacks. Domineck said that Nwankwo’s feeling the need to speak out shows “a real issue” with the current squad’s attitude.
Meanwhile, Sanders also called out players who seem to have “quit” on the team.
“Some people out here just aren’t here,” Coach Prime said. “They’re all ready to quit and shut it down because they know they have no future in this. But the rest of ya’ll do. Separate yourself today. I want to see who’s who today.”
Sanders’ rant on the team spirit was also visible following CU’s 24-21 loss to BYU on Sept. 27, which he described as “awkward.” He acknowledged the team’s talent but also said the Buffaloes lacked “consistency across all positions.”
CU’s seven-point win over Iowa State in the Folsom Field saw fans storm the field to celebrate. Sanders’ squad will now try to continue their winning journey against Utah, who are 5-2 overall and still have an outside chance (5.1% according to the PFSN College Football Playoff Meter) to make the Big 12 Championship Game.
The Utes could be without quarterback Devon Dampier, however, which should make life significantly easier for the Buffs.
