What Deion Sanders Said About Coaching First Season Without Sons Shedeur, Shilo

Their presence, talent, and bond with their dad helped fuel Colorado’s meteoric rise back into the national spotlight.

But as Buff’s 2025 season approaches, that era of Colorado football officially comes to a close.

While it’s a fresh start for the Buffaloes, it’s also a deeply personal shift for "Coach Prime." The connection between father and sons was more than symbolic. It played out each week in one of college football’s most iconic rituals.

Before each game, Shedeur and his father would take their signature walk along the sideline. First as father and son, then returning as quarterback and coach.

This week, former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel caught up with Sanders on his Say What Needs To Be Said podcast to ask how he’s adjusting to life on the sideline without his sons.

“One of my kids, I’m not going to say who it was, came to me the other day and he said, ‘You know that walk you did with Shedeur—Shilo? You know we’re still gonna walk, right?'” Sanders recalled. “I said, ‘Boy, you trying to make me cry, man. I said go, you ain’t fitin’ to make me cry.’”

He laughed before adding, “But the best thing about it is, I don’t have to be coach and dad anymore. I just gotta be the coach.”

With fall camp officially underway in Boulder, Sanders is focused on building a new identity for the Buffs in 2025.

Colorado enters their second year under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator Rob Livingston. Along with a veteran-laden defensive line and a deeper overall roster, Sanders believes the foundation is stronger than ever.

“Our first three practices have been phenomenal,” he said with enthusiasm. “And we’re gonna run that ball. Physical football. We’re gonna run it.”

Despite the heavy focus on defining a run game, the spotlight remains centered on one crucial question: who will take over as Colorado’s next starting quarterback?

The battle between dual-threat senior transfer Kaidon Salter and five-star freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis has already become one of the most talked-about position competitions in college football after "Coach Prime" decided to send both of his quarterbacks to Big 12 Media Day last month.

Despite the uncertainty around who will start, when asked what he’s looking for in his next quarterback, "Coach Prime" didn’t mince words.

"I want them to be consistent. Completions, completions. I don’t need all of this, all of that—completions. We move chains—completions, completions,” he explained. “And I need leadership. I need these guys to believe that no matter what point in this game we are, that you can do this, that you’ve got this.”

Sanders added, “We’ve got two quarterbacks that are capable. I just want to see it consistently.”

With exactly four weeks until Colorado’s season opener against Georgia Tech on August 29 at Folsom Field, "Coach Prime" and the Buffs are laying the foundation for what fans hope will be a defining year for the program.