Deion Sanders Speaks Candidly to Colorado Players on Battling Adversity

To ensure that Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders' 2026 squad has what it takes to handle that kind of adversity, Coach Prime had a message for them during a recent team meeting.

As training camp ramps up ahead of the 2026 season, Coach Prime’s sentiment will be important for the Buffs to live by.

Deion Sanders’s message to the Colorado Buffaloes

colorado buffaloes deion sanders coach prime cu buffs football sports big 12 team meeting speech advice motivational ncaa cfb — Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Legendary football and baseball player and father of Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Deion Sanders on the sidelines prior to a game against the Buffalo Bills at Huntington Bank Field. Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“If there’s something that isn’t going right, who are you through that?” Sanders asked. “You shouldn’t change with the environment, you shouldn’t change with circumstances, you shouldn’t change with the trials and tribulations. You should be consistent with who you are.”

Colorado still has plenty of training camp left, but the stakes are beginning to rise. The first major events of offseason training camp are nearly underway, as Coach Prime and several of his players will be in Frisco, Texas, for Big 12 Media Days on July 7.

This means that tight position battles will be winding down and players will start to see their hopes of winning starting roles slip away. In the face of that adversity is likely the first place Colorado’s players will apply Sanders’s message. That mentality will keep competitions fierce through the start of the season and ensure that all players are performing at their highest levels.

The mistakes the Colorado Buffaloes hope to avoid in 2026

colorado buffaloes deion sanders coach prime cu buffs football sports big 12 leadership health battle cancer team chemistry — Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buffs’ season was over before it began in 2025, as the leadership and team chemistry that exist in winning programs were all but absent.

In addition, Sanders was absent from the team during offseason camp because of his battle with bladder cancer, which removed leadership and team chemistry even further from the equation.

The team’s chemistry only continued to struggle as the season continued, with a week 9 bye sending the remainder of the campaign off the rails.

How the Colorado Buffaloes can address their leadership problem

colorado buffaloes deion sanders coach prime cu buffs football sports leadership team chemistry ncaa big 12 spring game cfb — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders greets players before the start of the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Colorado desperately needs better chemistry in 2026, and with a tough Big 12 schedule ahead, the Buffs need to be able to rebound from losses.

Coach Prime’s statement gives a great outline of the mentality necessary to overcome these struggles. In the leadership and team chemistry aspect, Colorado has done a good job of correcting its mistakes thus far. The Buffaloes have seen leadership and terrific chemistry emerge despite their massive roster turnover and lack of continuity.

Coach Prime recently held a leadership retreat at his Texas ranch during the last week of June, where several Buffs leaders heard from NFL cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Sanders’s presence back with the team has produced much-improved morale, and his words of advice are likely to deliver preparation.

If Colorado can stick to the mentality that Sanders advised during its team meeting, in addition to its newfound chemistry, it will have all the makings to run its gauntlet of a Big 12 schedule in 2026.

The Buffaloes open the season on the road against Georgia Tech on Sept. 3.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google