Deion Sanders faces his biggest test as Colorado’s head coach heading into the 2025 season. The Buffaloes will play without quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played both receiver and cornerback.
Former Alabama star Mark Ingram called the upcoming season a crucial moment for Coach Prime’s reputation.
“This is a credibility year for Deion’s coaching. You lose Travis, you lose Shedeur and now it ain’t about flashing it. It’s about coaching, it’s about leadership, it’s about teaching, it’s about adjusting,” Ingram said on “The Triple Option” podcast.
Ingram believes Sanders has the right staff in place to succeed without star power.
“Like I said, they have those coaches. And I’ve got faith in them but, you know what I mean, it’s not about Instagram clips, it’s not about celebrity power. It’s about can you get this team looking like a football team?
“That’s going to be through coaching. It’s not going to be through star power. It’s going to be through building your roster, building the chemistry. And I have faith in Deion, I have faith in this coaching staff he’s assembled. I think they’re going to do it, man. So I’m looking forward to watching them.”
Urban Meyer defended Colorado’s program culture after observing the team behind the scenes.
“I want to add one last thing, Mark, because I got to go backstage of the whole scene and so did you. You met with the players. But I went and watched them practice. And as uncomfortable as I am sometimes when I see the watches and I see the cars and all the flash — that’s just not me — but when I saw what went on behind the scenes, I agree with you. There’s a culture there,” Meyer said.
The Buffaloes program has faced criticism about their locker room environment. Colorado’s culture was questioned after reports emerged about alleged gun culture within the program.
Sources claimed Shedeur and Shilo Sanders led this culture. Shilo Sanders was accused of bullying Cormani McClain until he left the program.
Sanders hasn’t filed lawsuits against Athlon Sports for publishing these allegations. However, Steve Corder’s original report has been removed from the internet.
Meyer’s observations suggest Sanders may be running a more disciplined program than critics claim.
The 2025 season will test whether Sanders can develop talent instead of simply recruiting stars. Colorado must prove they’ve built sustainable systems beyond individual players.
