The Colorado Buffaloes didn’t have a single player named to the preseason All-Big 12 team, despite bringing in one of the nation’s highest-ranked transfer portal classes.
But if anyone expected Buffs coach Deion Sanders to be bothered by the perceived slight, they haven’t been paying attention to Colorado football over the past three years.
Speaking during Big 12 Media Days at The Star in Frisco, Texas, “Coach Prime” dismissed the preseason voting altogether, saying the snub simply gives Colorado another reason to prove people wrong this fall.
Coach Prime Embraces the Snub
Sanders has never cared much for outside opinions, and the Big 12 preseason All-Conference team wasn’t about to change that.
“We don’t care what people say. People are always going to have an opinion,” Sanders said during Big 12 Media Days.
“If my kids and my coaches and our staff don’t understand who they are, we have a problem. They’re not going to allow you to identify who we are. Just because our guys were snubbed off a poll that’s probably not going to be consistent with the end of the season, we don’t give a darn. Our kids know who, what, when, where and how they are, and they know what they got to do and how they got to work. It just gives them that extra ‘mmm’ inside of them, and I’m thankful and appreciative of that,” Sanders continued.
It’s an answer that serves as a direct response to a preseason vote that left off Colorado’s entire roster, including new wide receiver Danny Scudero, who led the nation with 1,291 receiving yards last season while earning All-American honors and semifinalist recognition for the Biletnikoff Award.
“Coach Prime’s” comments also highlight his confidence heading into the 2026 season. Instead of questioning the preseason voting, he embraced it, viewing the omission as another source of motivation for a team that already knows it has something to prove.
A Different Feeling Around the Buffs
While Sanders carried plenty of confidence heading into last season before Colorado stumbled to a 3-9 finish, the atmosphere surrounding this year’s team feels noticeably different.
“My younger self would be proud that I was here last year fighting a battle called cancer, and now I’m here with full strength, full energy,” Sanders said. “I got that thing back, I got that swagger back, I got that dog back, I got that charisma back.”
Sanders return to full health means he’s been able to spend more time around the program throughout the offseason, giving him an opportunity to revamp the coaching staff, which has also generated optimism surrounding the program.
New offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and defensive coordinator Chris Marve have brought fresh perspectives to Boulder, and players have already spoken highly of the changes. Quarterback Julian “JuJu” Lewis recently alluded to praise for the new coaching staff, explaining how he feels far better prepared heading into this season than he did a year ago.
Combined with one of the nation’s top transfer portal classes, the confidence surrounding Colorado appears to extend well beyond Sanders himself.
Ready to Let the Season Do the Talking
For Sanders, though, all of the offseason conversations eventually lead back to the same place: Folsom Field.
“I cannot wait to get back on that sideline and do our thing,” Sanders said. “I can’t wait to get back to camp. I can’t wait to get back in. I ain’t even seen the kids yet that are here. I can’t wait to even see them, because I know they’re looking good in our uniforms, but I’m excited about this season and the expectations thereof.”
It won’t be long before Colorado has the opportunity to prove the preseason voters wrong, and after leaving every Buff off the preseason All-Big 12 team, Sanders believes Colorado has all the motivation they need. Now, the Buffs just have to prove it.
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