Even after flipping the roster and loading up through the portal after a 3-9 season, Deion Sanders admitted there’s still a concern with Colorado players. And that’s whether his players actually understand money and what comes after it. He walked straight into the reality that college players are now making life-changing money and still might be walking straight into failure.

“Just say a kid, young man or woman is making $100,000 to play college sports,” Deion Sanders said on Thee Pregame Network with Uncle Neely, laying out a scenario that’s becoming more common by the day. “But say they don’t make it to the league and fulfill that dream,  but now they get a job for $75,000 to $50,000 right out of college. Did they fail?

“Are we teaching them wrong or right? Because I want them to understand how to handle that money and I want them to understand the value of that. But right now, we lost our minds from the value of it standpoint.”

Deion Sanders isn’t wrong; these players are living a life most people don’t fully grasp. They have meals provided daily, facilities cleaned, support staff everywhere, rent handled, and travel covered. It’s a structured ecosystem designed for performance, but it can also create a dangerous bubble. Coach Prime also talked about how his own mother, Connie, made far less while raising him, yet still provided everything he needed. For some players, the number on the paycheck matters a lot. 

When we talk about college football and the NFL, only a sliver of the total number of NCAA-enrolled athletes can make it to the pro level. Once they are there, money is not so much of a problem if they keep delivering results. But the overwhelming majority of players who are left behind no longer have the guarantee of finding a source of income that can match what they were earning at college. But if they do, these former athletes might be a little dejected at that reality. This is the thought process that Deion Sanders wants to change, because a $ 75,000 or a $50,000 job is more than enough, even in today’s economy.

Maybe that’s why Deion Sanders is forcing accountability. Earlier this year, he introduced a fine system. Any player who misses practice will be fined $2,500, and those who skip film will pay $2,000. Even those showing up late for practice would part with $500. Public misconduct, even on social media, will force players to cough up $5,000.

Sanders’ worry is pronounced because of the massive number of newcomers in his team.

Can Deion Sanders’ offseason overhaul produce results?

Under Deion Sanders, Colorado practically lives in the transfer portal. This offseason alone, the Buffs added 43 transfers, completely reshaping the roster, after roping in 33 new names last year. According to The Athletic, the class ranks inside the top 25, with names like DeAndre Moore, Liona Lefau, and Boo Carter among the most notable additions. 

On paper, the haul is a solid ‘B.’ But it’s still a question mark when it comes to the field. The Buffs added 29,649 snaps of experience, but they also lost continuity with 36 players transferring, including coveted OT Jordan Seaton. And when your locker room is constantly rotating, leadership becomes harder to establish. Chemistry isn’t built overnight. Especially when the whole of the 2025 season was spent on rotating between starters. It is back to square one for Colorado for the second time in a row.

This is where Deion Sanders’ off-field message matters even more, as this is about building smarter players who understand that NIL money isn’t forever. The goal is to teach players not to confuse a temporary bag with long-term success. If the head coach is right, Colorado’s biggest challenge in 2026 will be maturity and whether this new-look roster can handle everything that comes after it.