​Colorado defensive back Ben Finneseth says he has seen Deion Sanders in the football building constantly this offseason. With the high-profile coach back in the building for the first time since Sanders spent spring and summer away while undergoing treatment for bladder cancer, Finneseth believes it’s time for the players to step into leadership roles. The sixth-year senior suggested leadership had been missing on the way to a 3-9 record last season, which left the Buffaloes at 16-21 over three seasons under Sanders. “The thing with last year was we just didn’t have the players that wanted to lead and were willing to lead, and it starts with me,” Finneseth said at Big 12 media days on Tuesday. “I didn’t feel confident enough in myself. After getting this past year under my belt and gaining some confidence, knowing I can play at this level, it’s significantly helped me. The guys that stayed from this past season, it (irritated) us, the fact that there was no leadership. And we were like, ‘This is not going to happen again.’”
Sanders, who recently announced that he is cancer-free and feeling like his old self, wasn’t inclined to revisit his second losing season with the Buffs. Still, he acknowledged Finneseth’s emphasis on a player-led team. “I’m loving everything I’ve seen in the spring,” Sanders said. “I’m loving everything that we added. I’m loving what we did in the portal. I’m loving what we’re doing recruiting-wise. We’re right where we want to be. And we’re going to get even better.”
Tight end Zach Atkins, who joined Colorado last year after three seasons at Northwest Missouri State, didn’t single out 2025 leadership specifically. Instead, he described a broader goal of getting everyone on the same page and explained how that might unfold. “I think it starts now,” Atkins said. “I think it starts with all the work that we’ve put in since January. All the lifting days, all the conditioning days, all the player-led practices, all that stuff.”
Receiver Danny Scudero, new to the Buffs after transferring last season from San Jose State and the previous two years at Sacramento State of the FCS, didn’t dwell on a singular leadership moment from 2025. Sanders, however, quickly suggested that Scudero could immediately fill a leadership role for a program that has swung dramatically between seasons and within seasons. “I feel like I can definitely be a guy that a lot of my teammates can count on and just being a consistent guy for them,” Scudero said. “Because a lot of teams have ups and downs, and in times of need you can look to a guy to kind of be a steady guy. I feel I can fit into that position.”
Finneseth isn’t ready to downplay Sanders’ presence. He recognizes that the coach’s involvement carries significance beyond a simple show of support from a national figure. As the team continues to build toward a new era under Sanders, Finneseth and his teammates are ready to take on more responsibility, and the players who stayed last season are prepared to lead the way. With leadership now in sharper focus, the Buffaloes hope to translate that energy into tangible improvements on the field.