Deion Sanders’ unapologetic reliance on faith has been central in his public persona and leadership philosophy at Colorado. He regularly shares his wisdom and preaches the holy word on social media to motivate his followers if they’re going through a bad day. However, veteran journalist Jason Whitlock has raised questions about Sanders using his faith as a shield against accountability. 

“Deion has often used his Christian faith to justify his arrogance, which worked when he was a Hall of Fame football player,” Whitlock wrote on X. “However, when you are a below-average college football coach, it’s not as believable.” 

“I came up in the era of the three Mikes,” Pastor Anthony Walker said in a conversation with Whitlock on the Fearless podcast. “You had Michael Jordan, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson. Deion is in that era. The Cowboys were thriving; San Francisco was thriving. There was a lot of swagger in sports. But the swagger for the legitimate stars was backed up by the talent on the court, on the field. 

“But one of the things that we find in scripture that takes place with people who are gifted is they struggle in the area of confidence and arrogance. And there is a nuanced difference in scripture. I think you make that kind of plain in your monologue, whereas self-confidence would be leaning towards arrogance.” 

Jason Whitlock said last year that he would be rooting for Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes. It was a massive unknown for the team and the coach, as Sanders had navigated a tough time with his cancer battle throughout the summer. However, right after the first game (Colorado lost to Georgia Tech 20-27), Whitlock pulled his support.

“I was glad they lost to Georgia Tech,” he said in a video on social media. “I can’t take Deion Sanders’ arrogance. I can’t take his lack of humility. Deion is a false prophet. He claims a Christian worldview, but he preaches self-confidence at every turn. And that’s not biblically sound.”

It was a tough year for everyone at Colorado; the team finished 3-9 with its star players going pro that year. At least 40 players entered the transfer portal in 2026, leaving Colorado a shell of a team. The Deion Sanders experiment suddenly began looking like a disaster for a program that found itself on the map simply because of the Coach Prime hype.

This year, however, Deion Sanders and Colorado still believe they will do better than last year. The program has retooled and changed hands at offensive and defensive coordinators in Brennan Marion and Chris Marve. Both come with good reputations as coaches, so maybe there’s something to be excited about.

Deion Sanders’ sons, however, are each dealing with their own crises. Shilo Sanders is set to face trial in a bankruptcy case, tied to a lawsuit filed by a security guard who used to work at his high school. The plaintiff is seeking millions in compensation from Shilo, who allegedly assaulted him as a teenager.

Deion Sanders was subpoenaed for the case and was asked about it at a recent presser. He claimed Shilo “won” the first case. But the fact is, he did not. Shilo Sanders is in this position today because the court ruled in the plaintiff’s favor, awarding him nearly $12 million in compensation from Shilo Sanders. The latter is now trying to dodge this bullet by claiming bankruptcy.

While Coach Prime continues to lean on divine purpose to motivate his program, critics keep demanding better accountability around his coaching. They insist that neither faith nor past athletic glory can shield a head coach from the present situation.