As the college football transfer portal prepares to open, Deion Sanders is spending his offseason far from Boulder, enjoying time bass fishing at his Texas estate and stepping away from the spotlight after a turbulent year.
Sanders, 58, endured a challenging offseason a year ago while recovering from a cancer bout. This winter looks very different. The Colorado coach has been sharing moments on social media with his daughter Deiondra, his grandson Snow and his mother, Connie, sharing rare periods of downtime for one of college football’s most visible figures.
That calm contrasts sharply with the situation surrounding the Colorado Buffaloes. More than 25 players have entered the transfer portal, including multiple starters, following a 3-9 campaign in 2025. It was the worst season of Sanders’ coaching career. With Colorado needing help at several positions, the plan to restock the roster remains unclear as the portal opens.
Sanders has also made headlines off the field. He recently went public on social media with girlfriend Karrueche Tran, even flying to meet her parents. A notable move given his long-standing emphasis on efficiency and focus during recruiting season.
Family time has extended to the NFL as well. Sanders traveled to Cleveland to watch his son Shedeur Sanders earn starts for the Cleveland Browns. The rookie quarterback begins to break through after a much-discussed draft snub. Those appearances have delivered several proud “Coach Prime” moments.
But the football questions still remain. In 2023, Sanders leaned heavily on the transfer portal to rebuild Colorado’s roster. In 2026, the landscape is more crowded and competitive, with coaches like James Franklin and Lane Kiffin pulling from the same talent pool and resources across the sport continuing to escalate.
With the portal set to open and Colorado searching for answers, does the “Prime Effect” still have enough pull to lift the Buffaloes back into contention? Or has the rebuilding challenge grown steeper in Boulder?
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