Deion Sanders Offers Insight Into Offseason Changes, Health Updates

As Week 1 of the Colorado Buffaloes’ camp winds down, coach Deion Sanders gave fans insight in a press conference. He spoke on the relationships that he’s built in Colorado Springs and the importance of hosting fall camp off-campus.

It was also a time of reflection, as he looked back on his health struggles, fall camps during his playing days and his unique first meeting with one of his star linebackers. Here's a look into Sanders's comments as seen in a live stream from 9News.

What Deion Sanders Said

Opening Statement

colorado buffaloes head coach deion sanders coach prime cu buffs football big 12 press conference ncaa sports fall camp cfb — Deion Sanders takes in the second day of Cleveland Browns training camp, July 30, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Colorado Springs is beautiful, isn't it?” Sanders said. “This is my first time really spending time here. Like, I've been through here, and I've been here to visit donors and all of that stuff. But this is my first time really spending time here, and it's been an absolute blessing meeting the mayor and a couple of his counterparts, the superintendent, as well as yesterday going to Air Force; man, that blew my durn mind.”

“First of all, how beautiful it is,” Sanders said. “And who had the insight and the foresight to cut all-I don't know how to even got all of it in there. It is unbelievable. They were wonderful. The coaching staff welcomed us with open arms. They talked about the intricate details of attending the Air Force and what they must go through to get in. And our kids talked about our disciplines, and they talked about their disciplines, and we ain't like them.”

“They are unbelievable,” Sanders said. “The way they had the basic training is unbelievable, man. I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to go do that. I'm thankful that the city has opened its arms, and the campus that we're standing on, it's great.”

“A lot of deer, a lot of deer here,” Sanders said. “You know, black folks ain't used to that, but it's a lot of. I'm talking about they walking free. They just walking around, and I went on my morning walk as usual and came like 10 yards within this deer. And I looked; we made eye contact, and I said, ‘You got it, dog. It's you, it's you, it's your word. I don't know nothing. I'm gone.’ I turned around and got up out of there. But it's been a blessing. Team is doing great.”

“Just wrapped up the fourth practice here at Fountain Fort Carson,” Sanders said. “Superintendent Dr. Keith Owen. I didn't mention the name, but I'm trying to mention names right now. UCCS, can't say enough about the school. How good they've been to us. Chancellor, everyone is-they've been phenomenal. Mayor Yemi Mobolade.”

“Next fact is they're talking about the size of our team, which is hilarious,” Sanders said. “16 linemen, average [height and weight] is 6-5 310 pounds, six tight ends, average is 6-5 255 pounds, interior defensive linemen average is 6-3 295 pounds, defensive ends average 6-3 245 pounds, cornerbacks average 6-1 185 pounds. I don't think that's small by any means.”

“Let me address Coach [Jason] Phillips,” Sanders said. “My man, loved him to life, retired respectfully, and [Christopher] Neely did a great job on TMR Live. Coach Phillips talked about his 27 years of coaching experience, and he really coached last year for me because I was going through what I was going through, and he didn't want to leave me in that situation.”

“So we had already talked about it,” Sanders said. “Rashad has been with us since Jackson State. Rashad has been with us for quite some time, and sometimes people may give credit to others. [Phillips] did a great job, but Rashad has been there since Jackson State, doing a phenomenal job. He's done a lot of legwork. He's done a lot with the receivers. He's been there, so it was his time to rise up. And we're thankful and happy that we have him.”

“Danny [Scudero]'s progressing,” Sanders said. “Some good news the other day. We're optimistic. We're hoping he's going to return sooner rather than later. He's most definitely going to play against Georgia Tech, for sure. If I know Danny, he's definitely going to do that.

Why He Wanted to Open Fall Camp in Colorado Springs

“Well, we want we wanted to go somewhere away that was significant, not just around the corner, like 45 minutes, 30 minutes,” Sanders said. “We wanted to get away so they can’t have the contacts to drive back home on the urge. Even though we're on buses, they're not doing that. No visitations or anything like that. No outside food coming in. They're doing a great job of feeding us.”

“They're off the phones,” Sanders said. “We monitor that, and they're really getting to know each other, and really getting a bond. I sat at the table with a group of guys yesterday, and they were telling stories about some of them sleepwalking. He walked out of the room, and one of the coaches also fell out of bed, and he got a bruise on his arm. There’ve been some wonderful stories that have transpired on the campus, also with me coming face to face with a deer.”

“So we love it,” Sanders said. “We're bonding. We're getting closer. We're getting to know each other. We're getting to know each other a lot more because we're in one unit at all times, night and day, and it's been phenomenal.”

How His Players Have Grown Since the Spring

“The unity, togetherness, them really understanding one another, understanding what the coaches desire,” Sanders said. They’ve got a feel for tempo in the way we practice. Practices have been wonderful and very competitive. You see skirmishes and see fights. You're gonna see that. If you don't see that, something's wrong. If you haven't had contact for the first time in a while, and you try to win a position, to win a job, and you don't have that passion, that fire in you when somebody goes across the line, something's wrong.”

“So we've had that. I'm not applauding that by any means, but I'm happy,” Sanders said. “I'm pleased with the effort that we're giving. Sometimes it goes a little far, but I'm pleased with the effort.

His New Coaching Staff

colorado buffaloes offensive coordinator brennan marion defensive coordinator chris marve coaching staff deion sanders big 12 — Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“This is not to demean any of the former coaches, but this is the best staff I feel like I've ever had in my coaching career,” Sanders said. “From youth all the way up, these guys are good, fundamentally sound, creative, innovative. They're born leaders. They're head coaches that are coaching the offense and defense.”

“The young men are responding to them,” Sanders said. “Even special teams, we're doing that in a conglomerate effort, like we're unified on that; the defense is teaching these two special teams. Offense has these others. It's been great. I love the energy that these coaches are providing, and a new group of kids helps out tremendously.”

If He Feels Pressure This Season

“I apply pressure. I don't feel pressure,” Sanders said. “You know how pressure is? It’s a single mama trying to make ends meet. There ain't no man in the house, and she got to be the mother, the father, the provider, the disciplinarian, and everything. It’s the person lying up in the hospital right now with cancer who got some bad news that they may have a multitude of weeks to live. That's pressure. This is football.”

“I'm really good at this,” Sanders said. “I can play this. I can coach this. I can do this. And if you don't believe, you don't believe. God bless you. I need that. I like that. You put me in my comfort zone there. I'd rather be booed than applauded, because if you start clapping too much, I'm not gonna trust you. God is so good. I had so much more to say, but He stopped me. That was good. Thank you, Lord. Next question.”

If He’s Applying Pressure Differently Than Last Year

“You're so stuck on last year, and I'm gone,” Sanders said. “He just said we have a whole new team. We have a whole new staff. And you still talking about last year? We don't think like that, man. My neck. I can try my best to sit here and turn my neck all the way around, and it won't go backwards. So I'm right here, man. I'm right here, and I love the young men. I love the coaches.

“We even have a new AD. Did you know that? He's very good,” Sanders said. “I love me some Rick George. That's my man. I'm not demeaning that by any means. Everybody knows how I feel about Rick, but Fernando [Lovo] is here. So everything-it's like a new thing everywhere. We’re doing a new thing. We're gonna do a new thing this season. Proud of it. I can't wait.”

Kam Perry and Taj White’s Injury Concerns in Fall Camp

colorado buffaloes offensive lineman taj white cu buffs football rutgers scarlet knights transfer portal injury update big 12 — Dec 26, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Rutgers Scarlet Knights offensive lineman Taj White (63) against the Kansas State Wildcats during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

“Kam will be all right,” Sanders said. “Kam will be straight. Everybody is going to be good.”

What He’s Seen From the Offensive Line

“Physicality,” Sanders said. “When you rotate guys, you bring them through like that. When you're able to have eight to nine guys that can really start for you, you've got to find a way to get them reps. You got to find a way to show them love and show them appreciation and respect, and understand that you got a room. Now one guy goes down to practice, next man up, but you have the depth that you could do that, and these guys ain't no joke, man.”

“They are violent,” Sanders said. “I would say they're violent. We have a plethora of running backs that can get the job done.”

What Stands Out About His Offensive Linemen

colorado buffaloes offensive lineman yahya attia cu buffs footall coach prime deion sanders fall camp evaluation big 12 cfb — Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes offensive guard Yahya Attia (59) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Their attitudes,” Sanders said. “When we recruited, we recruited mentality. It wasn't just size and stature and status of where they came from. It was a mentality that they displayed on the field. It was a mentality that we spoke about when they came in to be recruited with their mothers and some with their fathers and loved ones.”

“It was the mentality I was looking for in the conversations that we had,” Sanders said. “And all of those young men, they have that mentality. Even some of the ones that we held over, because anybody that didn't have it, we got rid of them.”

Changes in His Patience Around Football

“Yeah, I’m much more [patient],” Sanders said. “Much more at certain levels, at certain positions. I'm not patient with the secondary by any means because that’s my thing. Probably with the receivers as well, because that was my thing as well. I'm a little more lenient on other positions I probably wasn't involved in.”

“But to have the patience and not think that, ‘I'm going to get from this guy what I got from that guy years ago,’ you can't think like that,” Sanders said. “So you got to develop a certain thought process and mentality, and it would be probably entitled patience for certain things.”

Colorado Buffaloes’ High Roster Turnover

colorado buffaloes head coach deion sanders coach prime cu buffs football big 12 ncaa fall camp transfer portal roster update — Jul 30, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Former NFL player Deion Sanders arrives at Cleveland Browns training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I don't think we're the only ones with a new group of people,” Sanders said. “I was just one of the first ones to do it, and you know when you're the first one to win the race, everybody's not applauding; they're not clapping because they've never seen that before.”

“But now, once everyone else is doing the same darn thing,” Sanders said. “Remember when we first got here, and you guys made a big deal out of the portal? Now everyone's doing it, and I don't see you attack them the same way you attack our program in regards to the portal. If you do the homework on it, which we've done, I think we're right there with many other schools in the turnover that's forecasted.”

“And if you really do your homework and think about those schools,” Sanders said. “Like, let's just say the 2022 Texas A&M team that had the number one team, number one recruiting class in the nation. Right. Two years later, there were two guys on that team left. What happened to all the rest of them? They left because that's the nature of what's going on right now in college football.”

“That's why you come on trips like this,” Sanders said. “So you can unite, so you can build loyalty, you can build love, so you can get to know one another, and these kids can really trust us. I really wish you could understand the mentality and the heart of Boo Carter from when he came to where he is.”

“I wish you could understand some of these young men,” Sanders said. “Young men that are playing on this team right now, from being closed off and having the windows up to now showing love and expressing love because they trust the coaches, that they have their best interests at heart, but it's a revolving door in college football because of the portal.”

“You drop it down to one year and one school that you could transfer to, I'm pretty sure you get a different type of roster for everyone else,” Sanders said. “But if you truly got out there and did your homework, you’d understand we're right there with many other schools in the transfer numbers.”

“We don't wish to have that multitude of transfers every year,” Sanders said. “But you got to really do your homework and think about the year, what you're paying, what their productivity is. Did you miss? Did you win? Did you hit? So that goes into this, man.”

“But guys, do your homework, man,” Sanders said. “Check these rosters. Check how many kids are coming in. Even in winning programs. What's the average number? About 30. Yeah, winning programs, 25-30.”

What He Looks for in the Transfer Portal

“I look for mentality, I look for love of the game,” Sanders said. “Like when somebody sits in front of me, and they mention, ‘Coach, can we talk business now?’ Get up, straight up. I don't talk business. I talk football. We have people that are very educated to do that. I don't do that. So when they do that, and they want to do that early on, that's a red flag for me.”

Keeping Players for Their Entire Careers

“We just talked about this. It's not like that anymore,” Sanders said. “You're talking about years ago. It's not like that anymore. You pray that you keep that freshman that you raised, that you groomed, that you developed, but when somebody's waving $4, $5, or $6 million in front of them, you're not going to keep that freshman.”

“Like you would love to, but that's not the nature of the game anymore,” Sanders said. “But you can't wipe your tears. You can't just sit there and cry a river. You gotta wipe your tears and let's go. Let's move on.”

Year Four of His Coaching Career Being a Potential Evaluation Point

“I don't know. I didn't hear that,” Sanders said. “My expectation is to win. That's the only reason we're here. That's what I thought. Isn't that why we're here? We gotta win, man. That's it. That's what this is all about. This ain’t about the friendly game of football; we came in to win.

The Prospect Scrimmaging the Air Force Falcons Before the Season

the mission is bigger than football. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/YbUWxknLAj
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) August 6, 2026

“That's something I've been suggesting for quite some time, haven't I?” Sanders said. “And the NCAA felt compelled to allow FCS schools to do what we thought of quite some time ago. So we're not involved. They won't allow that. But even if we could just practice at the same location, it would do justice. We don't have to compete against one another. But I wish one day we could have a spring game against one another.”

“It'd be wonderful for the state. It'd be wonderful for both cities if we did it home and away; it would be a great look, I think, for college football and Colorado football,” Sanders said. “I would love that. We talked about that yesterday. We would love that.”

Linebacker Gideon ESPN Lampron

“You see me smiling when you say his name? That's my guy, Sanders said. “[He’s been] more [than what I expected]. He comes to practice every day. Smart, intelligent, born leader, physical, mean. Just gets upset when he don't make the play like he lives this, he loves this, he's a football player, he's that guy that when you watch his tape, when you watch him on film, when I called and said, ‘tell me about this guy’ is that this guy a straight baller.”

“That's the first thing that [Darius Darden-Box] said when I met him on the plane when I called about him,” Sanders said. “But just getting to know him, he's one of the best dudes on the team. Gets along with everybody, and I'm over pleased with that whole linebacker room. I really am.”

Meeting Gideon ESPN Lampron on an Airplane

“Nothing happened by chance,” Sanders said. “How many times am I going to be on a plane, sitting up there, and this guy walks by and was compelled to say, ‘Coach, good to meet you. I'm a football player. I'm in the portal,’ but you know that takes a lot of nerve. But that was a blessing, man. That was a blessing for us, and I thank God for it because he's a game changer. he's a program changer. He truly is.”

Training Camps in his Playing Days

“Well, I was thankful not to go through many because of a game called baseball,” Sanders said. “But we bonded, man. We had a good time. It's hot, extremely hot with the Cowboys in Texas, but it was a bond that you can't replace by anything because you're just there thinking football, football, football. You're waking up together. You're going to sleep in the same locations. It's a beautiful thing. It really is a beautiful thing, and I'm glad that we're able to come here and do it.”

Learning Through His Health Struggles

colorado buffaloes coach deion sanders football press conference fall camp transcript health issues update big 12 sports ncaa — 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

“Well, I don't think I've learned something that I didn’t previously know,” Sanders said. “I've learned how to really live life and love the life I live and live the life I love. I've learned how to take up more time for myself and for my family. I've developed another level of understanding of how good God is. You know, last year this time I wasn't able, and I wasn't as strong, as vibrant and as ready as I am right now, and I'm thankful for everything I've gone through.”

“It's been a tremendous journey, but it's going to be a good one,” Sanders said. “The script that's being written right now is gonna be unbelievable, and I cannot wait to look at some of you and just smile.”

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