Deion Sanders' 'unspecified illness' having a clear negative impact on Colorado beyond on-field preparation for 2025

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Ian Valentino | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 6:28 PM ET

The Colorado Buffaloes are replacing two program stars in Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders in 2025, but their biggest challenge moving forward might be the health of head coach Deion Sanders. The 57-year-old has been dealing with an "unspecified illness" this past week, and has been away from the team.

The issue hasn't been revealed yet, but there are signs that Colorado's program could be suffering in his absence. While the Buffaloes haven't taken a traditional recruiting strategy since Sanders took over, their visit schedule is embarrasingly thing for this time of the year.

Even after landing elite quarterback Julian Lewis out of USC's grasp, Sanders must be able to sell the Buffaloes to key prospects. He's already opted against going on the road for visits in recent years due to health issues, and it doesn't seem to be improving.

Deion Sanders has been away from the team while dealing with an "unspecified illness," per @Schrotenboer

Sanders has remained at his house in Texas while CU football camp has begun at Boulder

More here: https://t.co/cO0knnvuYq pic.twitter.com/RCP9ASn2Ft
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 10, 2025

On Sunday, his eldest son - Deion Sanders Jr. - appeared in a YouTube livestream to update fans on the coach's situation.

His son addressed fans by saying his father was resting in his room and "feeling well". 'He'll tell y'all soon enough what he going through, what he went through,' Deion Jr. said on the livestream.

With regards to the timeline of his dad's return to Colorado, he said: 'When we get back in Boulder, I don't know. I'm waiting until my dad leaves. When he leaves, then I'll go. Until then, I'm gonna sit here with him."

Meanwhile, Colorado has hosted only nine prospects on official visits since May began. Gavin Miller, a three-star tight end, is the only commit to the team. None of the others are considered likely to go to Colorado.

If Sanders can't go out on the road or even be available for June visits, the program will be uniquely behind the 8-ball in an arm's race for elite talent. He already has immense pressure to win in the transfer portal.

With concerns over the health of his feet, where he's lost two toes on the left side due to bloot clots, and more blood clot issues that caused him to miss a Pac-12 Conference event in 2023, evidence is mounting.

Colorado extended Sanders this offseason with a fresh five-year, $54 million deal. But if he can't sustainably recruit and parlay those off-field victories into on-field wins, the program will need to consider whether he's even physically capable of leading the team.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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