Oct 25, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders looks on during a time out in the game against the Utah Utes during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Deion Sanders Sends Stern Message To Colorado Buffaloes Players As Problems Persist

Originally posted on Colorado Buffaloes on SI
By Jack Carlough | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 9:00 PM ET

As evidenced by this past week's improved performance at West Virginia, coach Deion Sanders' message to his Colorado Buffaloes players is beginning to sink in. Two more regular season games remain, and things appear to be trending upward with quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis now leading the offensive charge.

Still, "Coach Prime" would like to see a greater number of players buy in to turning things around. Sanders hammered home that message again during practice earlier this week, calling out those who aren't helping find solutions to Colorado's problems.

"We got a bunch of guys in this group right here that really care, that really believe," Sanders told his team, per Well Off Media. "We got several guys that don't. And guess what? I know who you are. I'm not gonna call you out, I'm not gonna identify you because you've already identified yourself in the way you go about your job, the way you go about your preparation, the way you run your mouth in the locker room."

Deion Sanders' Question To Colorado Players

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"Coach Prime" continued by asking his players a strong question that could determine the Buffs' fate in their final two games against the Arizona State Sun Devils and Kansas State Wildcats.

"Are you part of the problem or the solution?" Sanders said. "Many of you are gonna say, 'I'm part of the (solution).' But it's hard to be part of solution when you're part of the problem."

Outside of left tackle Jordan Seaton, safety Tawfiq Byard, defensive end Arden Walker, kicker Alejandro Mata and a few others, Colorado has struggled to get consistent leadership from players this season, and its 3-7 record is an expected reflection. The Buffs may now be out of bowl contention, but "Coach Prime" hasn't given up on getting more out of his players.

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"Some of you, it seems like you've gained mobility and you're still soaring up, and I love it," Sanders said. "Yo-yo (offensive lineman Yahya Attia) is one of those guys. No. 10 (Lewis) is one of those guys. Some of you youngsters are still on the climb. Some of you are taking the personalities of some of you older guys that should be teaching you and should be reaching you, and they're taking you along their path. You gotta disconnect and grab on to something whole."

Colorado's Mindset For Final Two Games

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With two games remaining, it's all about playing for pride and potentially creating some momentum heading into the offseason. Wins remain valuable, even if they can't reverse Colorado missing a bowl game.

If Lewis can take another step forward during the bye week, securing another win is certainly possible. Arizona State will be without standout quarterback Sam Leavitt due to injury, and Kansas State has been one of the Big 12's most inconsistent teams this season.

This article first appeared on Colorado Buffaloes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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