​Perhaps no college football coach has more to prove in 2026 than Deion Sanders. He arrived at Colorado amid national fanfare ahead of the 2023 season, and a nine-win showing in 2024 seemed to serve as convincing proof of concept. Yet the Buffaloes cratered last season without Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, finishing 3-9. Sanders is back for another year, and while doubt about his tenure in Boulder persists, he remains convinced that he has made the necessary changes to succeed this fall and is taking responsibility for much of last year’s shortcomings. He told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that he wasn’t able to be “free of thought” during his recovery from last offseason’s battle with bladder cancer.
“I’m putting that on me,” Sanders said at Big 12 media days on Tuesday. “I’m putting that on me, that there were some holes I saw that I didn’t make the adjustments on. I should have attacked certain things earlier.”
Sanders now believes Colorado has the personnel and the coaching staff required to win. The program undertook several coaching changes in the offseason, and two new coordinators will guide the 2026 squad: Brennan Marion on offense and Chris Marve on defense. Colorado also welcomes back quarterback JuJu Lewis, a former five-star prospect who saw some action as a reclassified true freshman last fall.
Sanders contends that his team has already shifted its focus away from last season’s disappointing results and is fully oriented toward the upcoming campaign. “It’s already turned,” he said. “You just haven’t seen the fruit yet. It’s already there.”
The pressure to deliver a return to form in Boulder this fall is immense for Sanders, yet his belief in the program’s trajectory remains intact following a three-win 2025 season. Those who follow Colorado closely will be watching to see if the changes on staff, the return of a rugged quarterback, and Sanders’ renewed accountability translate into tangible improvement on the field in 2026.