Colorado Coach Deion Sanders Makes Young Houston Cougars Fan's Day

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders made a young Houston Cougars fan’s day in pregame. The Buffaloes faced the Cougars in each team’s Big 12 conference opener.

Deion Sanders Gives Fan Autographed Hat

Colorado Buffaloes Deion Sanders Coach Prime Houston Cougars College Football Starting Quarterback Ryan Staub Kaidon Salter — Sep 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks on the field before the game against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Before the game, Sanders took off his signed hat and gave it to a Houston the fan on the field, who was in disbelief. Watch the video below.

Coach Prime gives a young Houston fan his signed hat - and the kid’s reaction is priceless 🥹🙏 pic.twitter.com/aNzihBI2uo
— Romi Bean (@Romi_Bean) September 12, 2025

Deion Sanders is arguably the most famous coach in all of college football. Sanders took over as Buffaloes coach prior to the 2023 season after his time as Jackson State Tigers coach.

Right as Deion got to Boulder, he brought an energy to the program that they hadn't had in a long time. The season before "Coach Prime" arrived, the Buffaloes went 1-11 and were a complete disaster.

Colorado won their first three games of the 2023 with wins over the TCU Horned Frogs, Colorado State Rams, and Nebraska Cornhuskers. ESPN's College GameDay went to their game against Colorado State. After the 3-0 start, Colorado got hit with some reality. They lost eight of their final nine games to finish the season with a record of 4-8. Even with this type of end to the season, it was still a step in the right direction for the Colorado program.

In 2024, Colorado took a huge step forward. Led by Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and Heisman trophy winner, cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter, the Buffaloes finished the regular season with a record of 9-3. They earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl.

2025 has already shown how much Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes miss Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. How will they attempt to replace them?

MORE: 3 Big Fixes for Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes Ahead of Big 12 Play

MORE: Colorado's Ryan Staub Named Starting Quarterback: Julian Lewis, Kaidon Salter Impact

MORE: Deion Sanders To Break Silence on Colorado Buffaloes Quarterback Competition

MORE: Houston Cougars' Willie Fritz Reveals Surprising Preparation For Colorado Buffaloes

MORE: Colorado Buffaloes Defensive Back Makes Triumphant Return After Heart Surgery

Colorado Searching For First Big 12 Win of 2025

The Colorado Buffaloes and Houston Cougars kicked off on Friday night with each looking to move to 1-0 in Big 12 conference play. It was a slow start for the Buffaloes, who went down 13-0 out of the gates. Colorado rallied back to end the half and went into the locker room down just 16-14.

It looked like the Buffaloes may carry this momentum to the second half but the Cougars came out hot and were the better team, taking control of the game in the second half.

Colorado changed things up at quarterback this week and decided to start Ryan Staub. The Buffaloes rolled with Kaidon Salter through their opening two games, but there offense was clearly out of rhythm. Enter Staub. It wasn't the best start to the Staub era and "Coach Prime" will no doubt take a look at every option the Buffaloes have before their next game against the Wyoming Cowboys.