By now, Deion Sanders’ personal life is part of the Coach Prime ecosystem. In late 2025, Colorado’s head coach was seen with actress Karrueche Tran, confirming speculation. Well, the newest update isn’t about romance, but a visible change related to her profession.

“Audition day.. trying a new look,” Karrueche Tran captioned her Instagram story on January 21. 

She posted a photo of herself with a noticeably different hairstyle. The look itself broke from her usual public presentation. Tran typically posts sleek, structured hairstyles that align with her red-carpet image. This time, the hair was soft, curled, and understated, and she paired it with a simple grey top and gold hoop earrings.

This is not the first time Karrueche has adapted her appearance for work, but the timing adds weight to it. She is doing this while her personal life is under heavier scrutiny than at any point in her career. Since confirming her relationship with Deion Sanders, every public move is amplified.

Yet this post did not lean into that attention. That restraint suggests professional priorities remain intact, regardless of who she is dating.

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Those priorities are rooted in a career that has never followed a straight line. Karrueche grew up in Los Angeles and spoke openly in a 2017 interview on Sway’s Universe about being raised by her mother and her late father, who grew up in Compton. That upbringing shaped her approach to fame.

Before acting, she studied graphic design at a community college. She worked as a personal shopper at Nordstrom. She later became a personal assistant, learning the industry from the inside before stepping in front of the camera herself. 

Karrueche’s performance in The Bay won her a 2021 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actress in a Daytime Fiction Program, becoming the first person of Asian Pacific American descent to win in that category. By 2025, Tran had built a following of nearly 14 million on Instagram.

Recently, Karrueche shared glimpses of a winter getaway with Deion Sanders, posting moments from a snowy trip and writing, “I love it here.” Fans labeled it her “soft girl era,” even jokingly calling her “Grandma Sanders.”

But again, that narrative pauses when work enters the frame. Deion Sanders’ own professional calendar is about to test his program in ways that will demand full attention.

Colorado’s 2026 schedule signals an immediate test for Deion Sanders 

The Colorado Buffaloes’ 2026 football schedule has been released, and it offers no grace period. Deion Sanders’ team will open the season on the road and face two Power 4 non-conference opponents, a setup that has historically challenged even veteran programs.

The Buffs will face Georgia Tech on September 5, host Weber State on September 12, and then travel to Northwestern on September 19 before entering Big 12 play. 

The last time Colorado faced two Power 4 opponents on the road in non-conference play was 1994. That ‘94 team opened the season 2-0 before beating Michigan and Texas in back-to-back road games, both by 34-31 scores. Colorado finished that season 11-1 and ranked No. 3 in the final AP Poll. It has been more than 30 years since then, but the comparison sets a clear benchmark. 

History shows the path is difficult, not impossible. For Deion Sanders, the margin will be thin, and the spotlight will be unforgiving.