Deion Sanders, renowned as one of the greatest cornerbacks in NFL history and now the head coach of the Colorado football program, is facing serious allegations from several former players. Since taking over the program in late 2022, Sanders has been accused of creating a divisive and hostile environment, leading to significant unrest among team members.

In his first season at Colorado, which ended with a 4-8 record, Sanders made drastic changes to the team roster, including pulling scholarships from players who had already committed. This aggressive approach to reshaping the team has been met with mixed reactions, with some praising his bold moves and others condemning them as unfair and damaging to player morale.

Max Olson of The Athletic spoke to several players who have since transferred out of Colorado. These discussions painted a picture of a program in turmoil under Sanders’ leadership. Wide receiver Chase Sowell compared his time at Colorado to being part of a reality TV show, a nod to the Amazon series ‘Coach Prime’ that followed Sanders’ coaching tenure. Sowell and others expressed feelings of division between the new recruits and those already part of the program. “We felt like it was us vs. them instead of all of us together,” Sowell said.

Further allegations came from Xavier Smith and Oakie Salave’a, both safeties, who claimed they were not allowed to speak with Sanders one-on-one. Instead, they were brought into his office together and advised to enter the transfer portal. Smith described the interaction as particularly disheartening, noting that Sanders didn’t even make eye contact during the conversation. “I was actually getting mad, like tears coming to my eyes. Because, bro, you never even tried to get to know me,” Smith recounted.

The offensive line also experienced shocking changes, as Jake Wiley described an incident where players were abruptly removed from a group chat by one of the coaches, signaling their unexpected departure from the team.

In his first year alone, over 50 players left the Colorado program, and more than 30 have departed this year. A video surfaced showing Sanders telling players bluntly that it was his job to “get rid of all of them” in an effort to rejuvenate the program.

These sweeping changes and the manner in which they were implemented have sparked a significant controversy, raising questions about the future of Colorado football under Sanders’ leadership. The coming months will likely see further developments as the university and stakeholders assess the impact of these radical tactics on the program’s health and success.