Things were not easy for Deion Sanders, as his Colorado team suffered a massive downfall in his third year in Boulder during the 2025 season. With constant turnover at quarterback and the Buffaloes working to replace some elite departing talents, the team struggled to a 3-9 finish, marking the worst season of Coach Prime’s tenure at Colorado.
Sanders also battled health concerns throughout the year, and recent revelations about death threats have shown the intense challenges and pressures he has faced.
Deion Sanders Opens Up About Getting Death Threats
In a video shared on Friday by Sanders’s oldest son, Deion Jr., Coach Prime’s bodyguard, Michael Rhodes, was seen addressing new players about being cautious about who accompanies them, especially in elevators. Rhodes, who is listed on Colorado’s staff as “private security to the head coach”, explained that the intense security is necessary because so many people are constantly trying to get access to Sanders. Sanders then stepped in to explain to the team why he requires personal security.
“I know some people I like to read, man,” Sanders said. “Some people say, ‘Well, coaches need security before security, for we get death threats all the time. You a black man making it happen, making things move, making all that happen. So we had stuff is real.’”
Sanders followed up by asking Rhodes how often those threats occur.
“About five every day,” Rhodes replied.
Sanders inherited a Colorado program that finished 1-11 in 2022 and led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in his second season, but the three-win campaign in 2025 was a significant letdown. The type of turnaround Curt Cignetti showed at Indiana this past season is the standard many expected Sanders to reach at Colorado.
Coach Prime’s program is working to rebound, but the schedule offers little relief. With the Big 12 growing more competitive each year, the 2026 season may be less about the win-loss column and more about proving the program’s foundation is finally taking hold.
Sanders addressed his team for the first time on Friday and shared his enthusiasm in a video posted to Instagram.
“I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it,” Coach Prime said. “It was phenomenal. Why? Because I feel like we have a collection of men, our boys, men that want it, man. Just sitting down, talking to them on the journey of this whole portal thing, it was very impactful, unbelievable.
“So many families said that they had prayed for this opportunity, for this moment, and God provided them for it. I see the kids now, and how they’re doing what they do and how they walk in and talking around the building, how they’re migrating, how they’re uniting. I absolutely love it.”
In the same video, Sanders said maturity begins when players stop behaving like children and start owning their actions. The 2026 season will ultimately determine whether that focus on accountability and growth can translate into wins, as another three- or four-win year would only heighten scrutiny for the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric’s No. 80-ranked team.
