Deion Sanders, Colorado in prove-it mode, embrace doubters

There isn't a single Colorado player on the preseason All-Big 12 first team and nobody thinks the Buffaloes are a danger to win the conference this season.

Coach Deion Sanders has two words for media who voted for the 2026 predictions: Thank you.

"We don't care about what people say," Sanders said Tuesday at Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas. "People are always going to have an opinion. 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, 58, said he feels more energetic and is back above 200 pounds since he was declared free of cancer. Sanders was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year.

"My younger self would be proud," Sanders said. "Would be proud that I was here last year fighting a battle called cancer, and now I'm here with full strength, full energy. I got that thing back. I got that swagger back. I got that dog back. I got that charisma back."

On the field, Colorado went 3-9 in 2025, limping through a season of anticipated transition following the college-to-pro graduation of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter after the 2024 season.

Deion Sanders mentioned the Buffaloes being a surprise this season, but didn't want to drill into specific areas in which Colorado would be better.

"Well, we better win. That's going to be the surprise," Sanders said. "That's the surprise. We better win. We're going to win. I love what I got. I love what I see."

--Field Level Media