Cracked Facade: Alleged Violence Surfaces Under Coach Prime

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The culture issues surrounding the Colorado football program seem significantly worse than they originally appeared.

A 3-0 start for the Buffaloes in 2023 sparked hope for the program and its new regime under head coach Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders, but a 42-6 loss at the hands of Oregon sparked a 1-8 stretch where Colorado looked disturbingly similar to the 1-11 team it put on the field in 2022.

According to Athlon Sports, however, the team has more issues than a poor on-field product.

'Real Life Grand Theft Auto'

When Sanders' flashy CU team burst onto the scene last season with a 45-42 win over TCU, many in the college football world thought they were poised to make a championship run of their own. Many of the team's detractors scoffed at this idea, however, saying that Sanders didn't have the coaching experience necessary to take a basement level Power Four school and turn it into a powerhouse.

As it turns out, those who criticized Sanders and the team's culture in Year 1 proved to be right. According to the aforementioned Athlon Sports article, the locker room culture surrounding the Buffs "is like a real life Grand Theft Auto video game."

For those who are unsure of what Grand Theft Auto is, that's not a comparison that Sanders should be celebrated for. Most of the time, culture issues surrounding teams are largely mental. At Colorado, the culture issues surrounding the program haven't just turned physical, but violent.

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According to Athlon, safety Shilo Sanders slapped cornerback Cormani McClain after the Buffs' 26-19 loss to Oregon State. McClain snapped back at Sanders, and, according to Athlon, screamed that he "was going to kill" Sanders.

Savion Washington and Jordan Seaton reportedly also had their own altercation, in which Seaton was forced to "prove his manhood." Quarterback Colton Allen and wide receiver Kaleb Mathis were also involved in a physical altercation after Allen asked the receiver to pay a gambling debt to him.

Righting a Sinking Ship

If Sanders wants to right the ship on the football field and prove the doubters wrong, he must first right the sinking ship inside his own locker room. For winning football games to be the focus, major distractions—such as arrests and a multitude of physical altercations—have to be discarded.

If Colorado wants its reputation to be that of a winning program, Sanders must first prove that he's capable of leading young men who know how to band together and repair a damaged culture.

Regardless of the on-field product in Boulder, Colo., this fall, it's time for Sanders and the rest of his staff to re-evaluate the state of the program, before they're no longer in a position to do so.