Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes are back in the national conversation, but this time, it's not because of flashy shoes, viral pregame speeches, or Travis Hunter highlights.
Now it's one Big 12 assistant coach who’s stirring the pot, throwing some not-so-subtle shade at Coach Prime and calling Colorado’s football program “still a circus.”
And yeah, that’s the actual quote.
During Athlon Sports’ 2025 College Football Preview, the anonymous coach didn’t hold back when asked about Sanders and the state of the Buffaloes heading into Year 3 of his tenure. "It's still a circus," he said. “That's not an insult to Deion, but it is.” Which, let’s be honest, is kind of like saying “no offense” before completely offending someone.
The coach pointed to the constant roster turnover via the transfer portal and questioned the legitimacy of Colorado’s “competition-based” narrative. According to him, it’s less about merit and more about flash and headlines—and it’s going to cost them. “They’re really going to struggle on the offensive line because of how Deion manages the culture here,” he added.
With Shedeur and Shilo Sanders off to the NFL and Travis Hunter gone as well, the coach questioned if Deion will stay committed to the long haul. “With his sons gone, this is the year you really wonder what Deion’s long-term plan is.”
It’s a fair question, honestly. A lot of Deion’s early run at Colorado revolved around his family. His sons were the faces of the program, and his approach was... well, different. Polarizing. And sometimes chaotic. So now that the Sanders boys are gone, all eyes are on Deion himself. Can he actually build a stable, long-term contender in Boulder?
To be clear, there’s still talent on this roster. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and five-star freshman Julian Lewis are set to battle for the quarterback job, while Drelon and Omarion Miller anchor the receiver corps. Defensively, names like DJ McKinney, Carter Stoutmire, and Preston Hodge offer hope in the secondary, even though replacing Travis Hunter is borderline impossible.
Earlier this year, Sanders signed a massive five-year, $54 million extension that makes him the highest-paid coach in the Big 12. He’s locked in contractually—but anyone who’s followed Deion knows that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s there for the next five years.
For now, the Buffs remain a media magnet. They’re opening the 2025 season under the Friday night lights on ESPN, hosting Georgia Tech in a nationally televised game. And win or lose, people will tune in.
That’s kind of the whole Deion Sanders experience, right?
But it does leave us with one big question—can Colorado finally settle down and stop being the “circus” that anonymous coaches keep bringing up? Or is this just the brand now?
One thing’s for sure: if this is the year Colorado proves it can thrive without Shedeur, Shilo, or Hunter, that “circus” label might finally start to fade.