Here are 5 things Colorado's Deion Sanders mentioned at Big 12 media days

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FRISCO, Texas — Deion Sanders was in high spirits when the Colorado coach arrived at Dallas Cowboys' training facility with former teammate Michael Irvin for Big 12 football media days Wednesday.

The 57-year-old coach declined to elaborate on the unspecified health condition that caused him to miss portions of spring practice and summer workouts. But he told ESPN that he was "already back" in preparing for the 2025 season, including an Alamo Bowl rematch Sept. 27 in BYU's Big 12 opener (8:15 p.m. MDT, ESPN) in Boulder.

"I'm not here to talk about my health," said Sanders, who signed a reported five-year, $54-million extension to remain with Colorado after leading the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record. "I'm here to talk about my players."

Fair enough; let's get to it.

Here are some highlights from the moments "Coach Prime" held court at The Star.

"All you gotta do is look at the [CFP] and see what those teams spent, and you'll understand darn well why they're in the playoffs."

Deion Sanders on NIL and the current state of college football. pic.twitter.com/y6A5C3dWUP — ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2025

Buffs still need a quarterback

Shedeur Sanders is off to the NFL, a fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns and leaving Colorado without a starter for the first time in his father's collegiate career.

But Prime isn't worried; he's got options.

The Buffs brought both Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and four-star freshman Julian Lewis to Frisco — "because I don't know which one's going to start," he said — to speak with the media, a sign that Sanders feels comfortable with both signal callers.

"As long as they're doing their jobs and we're winning," Sanders said. "We definitely want to continue to develop Ju Ju, but Kaidon is unbelievable. Kaidon is off the chain. He's been there, done that. He can get the job done. I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't trust him, but Ju Ju is coming on round the mountain when he comes. I love what he brings to the table."

Commissioner Prime

Sanders had a few suggestions when asked what he would change if he were commissioner of college football. In addition to rule changes that would make the college game more like the NFL — two feet down for catches, marking a foul on pass interference, etc. — he said he'd like a cap limit for NIL for every program.

"This stuff is going crazy and nobody knows where it's going to land, where it's going to end," he said. "And you have so many different doors. It's like I would see a player that said he got an offer from another school and I'm trying to figure out why you gusy haven't investigated and how is that possible when the guy's not in the portal?

"So, I know we need to be upright and upstanding," he added.

Prime relationship

A lot has been made in the offseason of Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire, whose Red Raiders have surged to the front of the conference as preseason favorites to win the league by Las Vegas odds makers thanks in no small part to the No. 2 transfer class in the country and billionaire booster Cody Campbell.

Sanders doesn't fault his colleague and close friend for using college football's new rules to build his roster, either. Quite the opposite.

"Yeah, Joey got some money. Joey, where you at, baby?" he proclaimed. "Spending that money. I love it. I love it. Once upon a time, you guys were talking junk about me going in that portal. Now when everybody's going to the portal, it's OK. It's cool when they do it, but it's a problem when I do it. Ain't that a rap song?"

Texas Tech's head coach Joey McGuire, left, and Colorado's head coach Deion Sanders speak after the NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo: Annie Rice, Associated Press)

He also loves Kenny Dillingham at ASU

The 35-year-old Arizona State head coach took the world by storm when he took the Sun Devils from a last-place preseason prediction to first in the Big 12 in ASU's inaugural season in the conference.

Not bad for a former Pac-12 protege at Oregon, eh?

"I'm proud of coach Dillingham and his relationship with those kids and those young men," Sanders said. "I know some of them personally that he is who he says he is and I'm proud of him."

Sanders' players love him

The coaching icon and social media star has propelled a tagline for his players to "now give me my theme music" every year after coaching discussions.

So when one reporter tried to get the process of selecting his annual theme track, Sanders turned it into an opportunity to tell how his players reach out to him after they graduate.

In one case, Jordan Seaton called his coach and asked for his advice on where to braid his hair, because "my hair is ragged," he said.

"The moral of the story is, I'm happy that my players can call me about getting their hair braided," Sanders said. "I don't know many other coaches in the Big 12 that the players can call them about getting their hair braided. And I love the big fella, man, and he's gonna be a phenomenal player along with other guys that we brought."

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