Deion Sanders Explains Decision to Allow Chauncey Gooden, Travis Hunter to Play Two Ways

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders revealed his criteria for allowing players to have roles on both sides of the ball in his Tuesday presser.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders reacts in the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders took to the podium for his weekly press conference on Tuesday. He broke down why he allows certain players, such as Travis Hunter and, more recently, Chauncey Gooden, to play both sides of the ball.

In addition, Sanders reflected on the Buffaloes' miraculous win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and previewed their upcoming game against the Weber State Wildcats. Here's a look at everything Sanders said in his Tuesday presser.

How he chooses players to play both sides

What Deion Sanders said:

"Well, first of all, you'd be a fool to just tell me, 'I want to play both ways.' I should know that coming in. Like when I recruited you, I should know that's part of it. You can't just approach me and say, 'I want to play both ways.' Then I'm going to say, 'I want to see you play one way really good. Let's let's let's do that first,' and that's mainly the criteria. Even when Travis was coming to Jackson, the deal was you got to dominate one side," Sanders said.

"And once he dominated one side, it was easy to say, 'Okay, now let's venture off to the other one.' I don't think you guys understood when we first got here in that spring. Travis only played receiver. You recall that? Some of you don't recall that. He only played receiver. He didn't play both ways that spring when we initially got here, so he earned his right to get on that other side and do his thing at this level. So they got to earn it. Chauncey has earned it," Sanders said.

Jul 7, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado head coach Deion Sanders speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Opening Statement:

"Coach [Eric] Kjar, first season, Weber State. I love him for many reasons. I love him because, first of all, he's a flat-out winner, and all those titles. I thank Nib. I had to throw Nib up there in a meeting the other day because he's won so many durn high school championships. I had to throw Nib up there so we could offset that a little bit. Coach [Josh] Niblett is who I'm talking about, but we also have a commonality that we share. His kids play for him, and any man that is coaching the kids- his kids, I know it's tough," Sanders said.

"I know what he deals with, and I know you watch your team; you watch your kid; you're a dad as well as a coach. And my hat's off to him, man. He's doing a phenomenal job, well deserved, well overdue. He should have probably been a darn college coach, but I'm happy. He's going to have those guys prepared. He's going to allow them to know the magnitude of the opportunity," Sanders said.

"You've got to understand that when you're playing a team of this level, those kids are playing us for a multitude of reasons. First of all, they want to prove that they can play. Second of all, they want to show you that they could play for you. And third of all, they're showcasing themselves to a multitude of, you know, Power Four, Power Five teams. So I love it. I love the challenge that we're up against," Sanders said.

"Students of the week: Samu [Taumanupepe], Anthropology. Major humble Tex. I love Big Moo. Big Moo got a tackle. We got a bet going on this season with Big Moo. Me and Big Moo. Hykeem [Williams] Sociology, awesome. Volleyball team is 6-0. That's unbelievable. Soccer is 5-1-1. You know how much I love the soccer team. Cross country opened their season in Wyoming last weekend. Also been to tennis and men's golf and women's golf all get their fall seasons underway next week," Sanders said.

"I wonder why we don't have men's tennis. Funding? We've got to win. We got to win. That means we got to win. We could get that back for them. We got three weekly honors from the Big 12. Boo Carter was named Special Teams Player of the Week. Lamont Lester was named Defensive Player of the Week, and we also got the Defensive Line of the Week honor. Chauncey [Gooden] was the only interior lineman in all Division I football who played both ways," Sanders said.

"Lamont was the highest-graded D-lineman in PFF. I don't even know what PFF means, but last week, in defensive line, also the highest grade for d-linemen. We want to sell this thing out. We want our fans to come out in droves as they did in Atlanta. Hats off to Buff Nation. I really think we have the best fans in the country, knowing that what transpired on the field last season was a lot of lackluster effort, and sometimes, but they showed up, man," Sanders said.

"They showed up in Atlanta and showed out. When we scored that last touchdown, it was almost like it was a home game. If you just heard the volume of that, it was unbelievable. So, if we have tickets left, please sell this thing out so these kids can understand what I've been talking about forever and how wonderful this fan base is," Sanders said.

Nov 29, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) celebrates his first down reception in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

If his offensive line has talked about the Joe Moore Award

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive lineman Leon Bell (57) reacts against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"No, no, it's never- they just want to kick butt. They just want to prove that they can play this game at an extreme level and with consistency. And I think we have a rotation of about eight guys who go in there and play, and they did a wonderful job. Wonderful job! I'm so proud of them, not only the unit but individually. Some things that were accomplished, and I'm really happy with what they did," Sanders said.

The status of Colorado Buffaloes recruiting

Andre Adams announces his commitment to the University of Colorado during a ceremony at Antioch High School on Tuesday, April, 14, 2026 in Antioch. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Well, I think we have 20 or 21 commits. I think we have another one we just hadn't announced yet. I love it. I'm pretty sure we're gonna probably get three decommits. Everybody does because somebody throws them a bag at them, and we're not trying to lure them with money. We're trying to lure them with the game itself. But I love where we are. I talk to those young men. I try to talk to them every week," Sanders said.

"We do a Zoom call, and hats off to them because they're always present, they have questions and they were really hyped after the game. I think I talked to them on Saturday or Sunday, but they were really awesome, and they watched the game in its entirety. So I got love for them, and some of them are really going to play a vital part in our success a season from now," Sanders said.

What he expects from the tight end room and Josh Niblett

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes tight end Charlie Williams (87) makes a catch against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the second half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Well, that group is one of our smartest groups academically, as well as what they grade out in practices, as well as what they graded out in the game; those guys get it. Coach Nib is a really, really good, detailed, fundamental coach that understands X's and O's, but he understands his players more than anything. He does things with them outside of the complex, which a lot of our coaches do," Sanders said.

"The relationship is not just extended; it's extended beyond our hours, office hours, because he loves on them like that, and they want to play for him, they want to win for him, and they want to execute for him. Nib is good," Sanders said.

Being a run-first team for the first time in the Coach Prime era

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Micah Welch (29) rushes the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Well, it is [nice to see]. You've got to go with your strengths as well. I don't think, at that point in time [2023], the goal was to run for 300 yards when we had a quarterback like we had at the time, and I think we have four receivers still in the NFL because of the way we threw the heck out of the ball. I don't think they would be there if we hadn't done what we did. But I'm happy. I'm excited about the physicality that accompanies the run game tremendously, and these guys are taking pride in it," Sanders said.

"100 percent, and they're owning it. They're owning it. I mean, they're upset when they miss a block, when they don't get to the second level, low and finishing as well. These guys are owning it, so I'm happy they're taking pride in it," Sanders said.

Taking advantage of extra prep time for the Weber State Wildcats

"We were able to work out some things. You know, you want to fix what was broken. You want to fix the things that you weren't necessarily successful at doing. You want to call attention to some of the things that you need to really develop with some of the players as well, and it just gives you an extra couple of days to do so. And we took full advantage of it. Trust me, we really took full advantage of those days," Sanders said.

Keeping his players from getting too overconfident

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes long snapper Luke Whiting (45) reacts after the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"Very easily. I'm pretty good at that. Understanding the details, getting them to lock in, understanding how vital special teams is- that message has been relayed tremendously. We don't take plays off; we get to the ball. Just say, for instance, if we didn't make it a consistency to get to the ball, and Cree [Thomas] didn't do that on the backside, he wouldn't have made that tackle. He wouldn't have gotten there because he'd have been jogging and loafing," Sanders said.

"We'd have a whole different attitude in this presser right now, but these guys understand how vital they are on every play, and they've got to give it their all. We got a sideline full of young men that can replace them and can play, and we want them to know that and understand it at all times. They might not be as great in some areas, but we got some guys that can fill those gaps," Sanders said.

"So everybody is jockeying for position and reps and repetitions, and that's what we love. That breeds competition as well as results," Sanders said.

Letting players play free while still doing their jobs

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes running back Jaquail Smith (23) reacts against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"That's part of the selection process. That's part of it when you're sitting across from that guy. You understand his conversation. You understand the background checks and the checks in the cities that they come from, with the high school coaches, with the barbers, people that know them, and you want to know what you're getting. Not only that, you want to know what you're getting under pressure. Anybody could be anybody, but you add pressure, and that person may change," Sanders said.

"And we want to make sure they're changing for the greater good of the team. But we feel like we've done a good job of identifying what we wanted and bringing it in, and we're still doing so, especially with the youngsters that we plan on bringing in now," Sanders said.

What improvement he's looking forward to seeing

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes kicker Daniel Gerlach (38) kicks a field goal against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I think we gave up a few passes in the secondary that we shouldn't have. I think us pressing would eliminate that. Offensively, we've got to do so much better. Receivers as well as the quarterback, seeing the game, making the necessary plays that we need to make. Special teams need to be special. I don't know why we call them special teams if they're not special," Sanders said.

"We've got to be special. That's a good start. Those are three things I just gave you that are tremendous starts that help us become who we want to be," Sanders said.

If he's concerned about fixing special teams

"I'm not concerned about those issues. The reason: because that's an easy fix with personnel. Some things are schematic. That wasn't schematic. That was personnel. We fixed it with personnel already. Hopefully, you see the results this weekend," Sanders said.

If Elliot Arnold is out as the Colorado Buffaloes' kicker

McCallie's Brandon Mathurin (8) and Elliot Arnold (6) celebrate Arnold's goal against Christiana Brothers during the Division II Class AA State Soccer Championship game at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Thursday, May 23, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"Everything is day by day when it comes to kicking off. That [touchdown return] wasn't his fault. You know, he kicked the ball where he needed the kick. I think it was six yards deep in the darn end zone. The guy brought it out. We got to be on that game. That wasn't his fault, but he's still gonna kick field goals. I've got to see this stuff in practice under pressure. We apply pressure in practice, and I got to see it," Sanders said.

"And some guys are better from this hash and that hash. It depends on where you are on the field. I've got to make that call. I've got to make the proper call. But that comes from what I've seen in practice, not games," Sanders said.

If there are problems in the Colorado Buffaloes' secondary

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets tight end Kevin Roche Jr. (86) attempts to make a catch against Colorado Buffaloes defensive end Immanuel Ezeogu (52) at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It wasn't like that. We missed a few tackles, of course. You saw that. Everybody saw that. But we just got to play a lot more aggressive. I mean, the quarterback scrambling around. We give up a pass on the durn five-yard line or three-yard line, something like that. We got to do better. We got two guys right there. You know, let's make that play. But overall, they did well. But we could do so much better," Sanders said.

"And they had throws that they could have made, and they didn't make. Thank God, but we could do better. We could do tremendously better because we have some really good DBs, I feel," Sanders said.

How the defensive line boosts the rest of the defense

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. (56) reacts against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"It starts up front. I mean, offense and defensive stability starts up front. When you have a stout offensive line that can run the ball like we did, that makes it much easier on the offense as well as defense, when the defensive line is making the plays and doing what they did against a pretty good offense and a running back like they had, it eliminates a lot of stress on the back end, and those guys were phenomenal," Sanders said.

"I'm not going to say we didn't expect that; we did, and they played phenomenally. And I think they have so much more inside of them that they're going to bring out. I think we were a couple D-ends short as well in the game that didn't make the trip. So we're going to be much better in the next few weeks," Sanders said.

Rejecting the narrative that his defensive line was ever weak

"We always knew it was a strength. You guys said it wasn't a strength. We never said it wasn't one of our strengths. You know, the whole team is new, so you can't say it is this and that. You can't really have judgment because you're not there every day. We are. We let you guys talk, like they said, 'We're small.' We let you guys talk. We don't really refute it. We let you guys do your thing," Sanders said.

"We know where we're strong at. We know where we are vulnerable as well. So we let you guys do your thing. You guys are really good at it too," Sanders said.

If the offensive line was challenged differently in pass protection

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) drops back to pass against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't think they asked anything different. I think it's personnel. You got different personnel that can do what you ask them to do. Not only can do it, they take pride in it, and they want to do it. And like I got so many high fives, and, 'I told you, coach, that I was gonna do my thing.' Like, I got so much of that, and I love that because I have a real, true relationship with practically everyone on the team. I would like to have a really good relationship with everybody, but you know that's not possible," Sanders said.

"Some guys are a little more inclusive, shy than others; reserved should be the better word. But those guys, man, they know what they possess. They know what they got, and they want it. They want it like they're not going to let up this week whatsoever. You're going to see a group of young men go out there and pick up where they left off and just try to punish somebody," Sanders said.

If Isaac Wilson's experience with Eric Kjar helps the Colorado Buffaloes vs. the Weber State Wildcats

Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Isaac Wilson (16) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"No. We're gonna watch tape. We evaluated. We already have. Gave a tremendous scouting report yesterday or the day before. Can't recall, but we're ready, man. We're prepared, so we're not gonna sit down and interrogate Isaac on his coach. But we do know this coach is really good. He's really good. He wouldn't be there if he wasn't. Schematically, we know we've got to feel what they're going to do," Sanders said.

"But I promise you, we're not taking anything for granted, because I know darn well if I was on that team, I would come here, want to put on and show out so that somebody could recognize me and notice me and maybe grab me out of the portal and pay me handsomely. That's what I would be thinking if I was on that team. So I'm pretty sure there's certain guys thinking the same thing," Sanders said.

The Colorado Buffaloes' first game without Adam Munsterteiger and Dominiq Ponder

"Where's Liz [Munsterteiger]? Liz, I appreciate you, sweetheart. I appreciate your text messages. I appreciate everything. Like, and we will never forget. And I know it was a tough one for you, for the first one, but you are holding it down for the family. And someone's up in heaven smiling. Yeah, and for Dom's family, his mother contacted me. She was so proud and so happy for the victory, and she knew Dom was really with us every step of the way. But that was awesome. That was awesome. So God bless you all," Sanders said.

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