Last off season was an uncomfortable one for the University of Colorado football program. There were the requisite departures and additions via the Transfer Portal, but that was pretty much SOP. Shortly after spring football culminated with the controversial jersey retirement of Shadeur Sanders, his father, CU Head Coach Deion Sanders quietly departed Boulder and returned home to battle what was later discovered to be bladder cancer. Deion missed all of the summer workouts, making his only public appearance at Big 12 Media Days near his home in Frisco, Texas. After a team of doctors at CU removed his cancerous bladder, they basically “rebuilt” one for him. To this point, Sanders has made a successful recovery, doing so before last season kicked off in late August. Later in the year, Deion pointed back at his health issues and long absence as being one of the reasons for the Buffs difficult season.
Deion’s Fine, but Tragedy Hits Colorado
The Pro Football Hall of Famer is fine this time around, but there have been numerous other untimely distractions to deal with as another spring football season begins.
The latest and most tragic was the sudden death of back up quarterback Dominiq Ponder, who passed away after being involved in an early morning, single vehicle accident in Boulder on March 1st, just one day before the start of CU’s spring practice schedule. A shocked and dismayed Sanders broke the news on social media, and held a team meeting the night before practice was to begin to inform the players and grieve together. The CU players voted to not cancel practice for the next day, saying that Ponder would have wanted them to continue with practice.
Huge Staff Turnover Puts a New Burden on Sanders’ Program
Ponder’s death sent another shock wave through a program that has had to deal with massive turnover not only with their roster, but also with the coaching staff. Shortly after the season ended, Sanders replaced NFL veteran Pat Shurmur with new Offensive Coordinator Brennan Marion. Running backs coach Marshall Faulk, himself a Pro Football Hall of Famer, left to take the head job at Southern University, an HBCU program near his home in Louisiana. On the defensive side, the first to depart was defensive line coach Domata Peko, who left for a job with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Buffs just recently lost Defensive Coordinator Robert Livingston to the Denver Broncos, and watched Defensive Pass Rush specialist Warren Sapp, another Pro Football Hall of Famer, leave the program as well.
All totaled, there are a dozen new coaches on Sander’s staff for the 2026 season. That coincides with 59 new players (out of a roster of 95) having landed on campus via the Portal or as incoming freshman recruits. Only five scholarship players from last season’s defense are returning, and only 16 return on offense.
So to describe Colorado as a mystery coming into next season would be putting it mildly.
The grieving CU team voted to wear patches on their jerseys for the upcoming season in Ponder’s honor, and will dedicate the season to their fallen teammate.
The Buffaloes are coming off a 3-9 campaign in Sander’s third year in Boulder.
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