Colorado coach Deion Sanders suffered his worst defeat at home when the Arizona Wildcats blew away the Buffs 52-17 in Week 10 action. The loss dropped the Buffs to a 3-6 record with just three games remaining this season.
It was Colorado’s second consecutive blowout loss after the Utah Utes put them to the sword 53-7 on the road in Week 9 action, putting Coach Prime on the hot seat. Sanders renewed his Colorado contract in March this year through to 2029. His new contract is worth a hefty $54 million, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Analyst Reveals the End of the Deion Sanders Era Amid Julian Lewis Speculation
During Sunday’s segment of the “CBS Sports” show, analyst Brad Crawford revealed that Coach Prime’s time in Boulder might be coming to an end amid uncertainty over the quarterback situation, with five-star prospect Julian Lewis’s future in Colorado also unclear (6:30).
“I’m of the belief that Coach Prime’s tenure is going to end somewhat gracefully with the Buffs,” Crawford said. “Whether that’s Colorado giving him an opportunity to step away after the season or even perhaps negotiating a lesser buyout if the power brass in Boulder demand that he’s fired. I think Deion Sanders needs to get to 2026.
“He needs to recover from all these health issues he’s been having this season, get the quarterback situation on a better footing heading into next year. We don’t know if Julian Lewis is going to redshirt the rest of the season or if he could possibly transfer. Deion Sanders kind of alluded to it Saturday night.”
During the loss to Arizona, Coach Prime utilized all of his quarterbacks, including Kaidon Salter, Ryan Staub, and Julian Lewis, who threw a 59-yard touchdown before leaving the field with a hand injury.
Deion Sanders Shoulders Blame for Blowout Loss
During his postgame news conference after the loss to Arizona, Coach Prime made his players unavailable for questions by the media. Instead, he shouldered the blame for Colorado’s heavy loss.
“No one will be available tonight,” Sanders said. “It’s on me. Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me. This is me. This has nothing to do with them. It has everything to do with me. I have no idea. If I knew, I wouldn’t have allowed it to happen. It’s on me. Straight up, on me.”
Coach Prime has dealt with health issues throughout the season as he has struggled to rebuild last season’s high-powered offense led by his son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter, both of whom departed for the NFL via the draft.