Colorado coach Deion Sanders is under extreme pressure to turn around the Buffaloes’ form after slumping to a 3-9 finish last season. So far in his tenure, Sanders has a 16-21 record at Colorado and has had two losing seasons in the FBS.
Sean Salisbury Expects the End of Deion Sanders’ Buffs Tenure
During Thursday’s segment of the “Unpaved” show, former NFL quarterback Sean Salisbury put Sanders on the hot seat and predicted the end of the coach’s tenure in Colorado.
“I think that Deion Sanders will either move on before that happens and it’ll be like he resigned moving on, or gets another job somewhere that somebody wants him,” Salisbury said. “Or, he will get fired and move on. It’s one thing to love somebody and what they do and how they’ve grown the interest in the Colorado program and he has. And he’s a smart guy, but you gotta win.”
“Deion’s always gonna shine cause he’s Deion Sanders, but as the coach of Colorado, if they don’t get the results he wants, hence why he’s also changed coaching staff and made some changes because Deion’s seat is warm,” Salisbury added. “And he’s about three straight losses away from that thing burning his (expletive) so bad it looks like those cartoons where you gotta sit your (expletive) in some ice water.”
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Last season, the Buffs regressed on both sides of the ball. Colorado earned a PFN College Team Defense Impact score of 73.7 (No. 77 in the country) and an Offense Impact score of 74.4 (No. 80 in college football).
Coach Prime addressed the Buffs’ slide by overhauling his coaching staff at Colorado, hiring offensive coordinator Brennan Marion to replace Pat Shurmur and implement his much-vaunted “Go-Go” offense.
Sanders also promoted Chris Marve to defensive coordinator after Robert Livingston took the Denver Broncos’ defensive pass game coordinator’s job in February.
The Buffs coach also flipped his roster once again, bringing in 42 and letting 34 players go for the country’s No. 27-ranked transfer portal class.
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San Jose State Spartans wide receiver Danny Scudero headlined the Buffs’ portal class. Scudero was one of the most productive wide receivers in the country last year, tallying 1,297 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 receptions in 12 games.
Redshirt freshman Julian Lewis is expected to win the Buffs’ QB1 job and form a lethal partnership with Scudero to address Colorado’s offensive issues.
Oddsmakers have Colorado’s 2026 win total at just 4.5, tied for the lowest in the Big 12, with the Buffaloes picked to finish near the bottom of the conference. Coach Prime will have his work cut out for him to beat the number and clinch bowl eligibility.
