Heading into the 2026 college football season, Deion Sanders quietly faces a ton of pressure to win. In his first season with his sons and Travis Hunter, Sanders posted a 3-9 record going just 1-8 in conference play. Over his entire three-year tenure, Sanders has gone 16-21 with a 9-18 record in league play between the Pac 12 and the Big 12.
Colorado was hoping that Sanders would be able to attract top talent to Boulder and build a team that could compete for conference championships and College Football Playoff bids. As the pressure builds on Sanders, he isn't exactly getting the most support from some program legends.
Christian Fauria blasts Deion Sanders in personal attack
Former Colorado Buffaloes National Championship winner and All-American tight end Christian Fauria appeared on The Zach Gelb Show where he delivered a ruthless review of Deion Sanders.
"I’m just not a fan of the coach. I’m not. I’ll never be a fan of the coach,” Fauria said. “I love the school. And this isn’t me picking on Deion Sanders because I pick on Joe Gibbs. The worst coach I’ve ever had was Joe Gibbs. So my picking on Deion Sanders is nothing. I just don’t like the way he coaches football. I don’t think he’s very bright. I don’t think he can manage a game. I think there’s a lot of flash, but I think there’s no substance, you know?"Christian Fauria
Fauria continued by calling out Colorado alumni that haven't spoken up about the situation.
"There’s a lot of things you know internally that I know about that I’m not a fan of, and it’s just not worth my energy to sit there and follow it and, you know, and then go back and forth with the ‘The emperor has no clothes’ crowd that support him, regardless of how stupid he is sometimes. So yeah, that’s the way I feel about it. And it bugs me that a lot of alumni just don’t speak up about it. They don’t say anything. But I will."Christian Fauria
While Christian Fauria has a right to speak up, some of the points don't feel fair towards Deion Sanders. In this era, every head coach needs to have flash otherwise, it would be impossible to recruit. Throughout his playing career, Sanders was the same way, and it's a massive part of the appeal of playing for him.
Things have certainly changed since Christian Fauria's time at Colorado, as this modern era requires a different style of head coach. Fauria would have some level of insight, as his son, Caleb Fauria, played for Sanders for one season before transferring out of Boulder.
If Deion Sanders is going to prove he's the man for the job long term, he's going to need to prove a ton of doubters wrong. This season more than anything, is a great chance for Sanders to make his point as he's been given the time to replace the stars he lost to the NFL last season.