The 2025 season was supposed to be Deion Sanders’s big test. With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter gone, football fans have wanted to see if Coach Prime can keep the Colorado Buffaloes in the national conversation. Last season, the Buffs went 9-4, which raised expectations. But five games into the new campaign, the Sanders squad is sitting at 2-3.
A bowl berth already feels like a stretch, and the pressure to steady the ship is growing louder each week. Sanders knows changes must happen. Tweaks in practice have been made, but the results haven’t shown on Saturdays. And with another tough matchup looming against TCU, one analyst believes Colorado is at a breaking point.
Is it a Leadership Void or Turning Point? Analyst Breaks Down Deion Sanders Squad’s Dilemma
In the latest episode of Locked On Buffs, analyst Kevin Borba argued that Colorado has reached a dangerous crossroads. “I think Colorado is at this weird point where if they don’t win this game, they could fall apart,” Borba said, pointing to the upcoming match with TCU. And that is not entirely exaggerated either.
The Buffs are coming off a loss to BYU, where they led late in the third quarter but couldn’t finish the job. Quarterback Kaidon Salter had his moments. He made 11-of-16 passes, throwing 119 yards and scoring a touchdown while rushing 17 times for 49 yards. However, an interception in the final minute sealed Colorado’s fate. It was a game that showed Salter’s promise and the painful inconsistency of the squad.
In fact, Borba himself talks about the same. After being benched earlier this season, the Liberty transfer admitted it rattled him and made it hard to lead. “He felt like being benched threw him off, and he can’t lead because he was benched,” Borba noted. That is far from ideal because QBs are tone-setters. However, not all CFB analysts are with Borba.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly slotted him No. 40 among Power 4 quarterbacks one month into the season. “After briefly losing his job early in the season, Salter, the Liberty transfer, is back in the lineup, and he is 21st in success rate,” Connelly wrote. Interestingly, Salter sits one slot above the much-hyped Arch Manning.
The issue, however, that Connelly points out is survival behind a shaky line. “He (Salter) is facing constant pressure, scrambling, and throwing outside the pocket a lot. It worked against Wyoming, not so much against BYU, and with games against TCU, Iowa State, and Utah on deck, any hopes of a decent season will require some immediate stability,” added Connelly.
That is a fair assessment considering that Salter had his moments against Wyoming. He made 304 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Liberty transfer finished the night 18-of-28 through the air, tacking on 86 rushing yards, 35 of them coming on a gutsy late-fourth-quarter touchdown.
Is This a Salter Problem, or Is Something Bigger Brewing? All Arrows Point to Leadership Trouble
Leadership is where Colorado’s issues get messy. Xavier Hill, the Memphis transfer on the offensive line, has already voiced concerns about the little leadership inside the locker room. That shows on the sidelines, too.
Borba pointed to a Well Off Media clip where Colorado’s receivers coach called out Omarion Miller and the rest of the wideouts for their poor body language. “I don’t like the body language from any of you,” he told them. That is perhaps the worst thing to hear for a team that is supposed to be a nightmare for offenses. However, not all hope is lost.
Borba pivots to Jordan Seaton. He is one of the best overall players the Buffs have. Last season, as a freshman, he racked up freshman All-American honours. Seaton also started all 13 games during the 2024 season, making him the first true freshman to start at offensive tackle in the season opener at Colorado and the first in the Big 12 since Texas’ Kelvin Banks.
While Seaton is a great player, as Borba puts it, “It’s hard for the team to follow guys at positions like offensive tackle.” Seaton can dominate in the trenches, but inspiring wideouts, corners, or quarterbacks isn’t part of his role. That leaves Colorado without vocal leaders in what Borba calls the “sexy positions,” aka quarterback, receiver, corner, and linebacker. All of this makes the TCU matchup a massive pressure test.
History adds further intrigue. 2023 was the last time the Buffs faced TCU. Colorado won 45-42 in Fort Worth that season. It was the kind of win that brought faith to the forefront. Now, the same stage could expose the cracks even more. A loss here, Borba warns, might not just damage morale. “You might see some coaches lose their jobs. You might see some players possibly figure out ways to exit the program.”
That is no small statement for game six of the season. But no doubt, it fits the mood in Boulder. With Salter under scrutiny, Seaton carrying the line, and leadership still in question, the Buffs are fighting to keep their season alive. The question isn’t just whether they can beat TCU. It’s whether Colorado can stop itself from falling apart.
