Deion Sanders didn’t just show up to Folsom Field on Saturday — he stormed in like a man with receipts. The spring game was supposed to be a glimpse into Colorado’s future, but it turned into a pressure cooker of uncertainty. No Shedeur. No QB1. And just when folks thought they’d leave with answers, Coach Prime lit a fuse instead…

Deion Sanders walks into his third spring game at Colorado with the volume cranked all the way up—on drama, defense, and quarterback competition. Folsom Field buzzes with energy as the Buffaloes roll out two jersey retirements, a handful of surprises, and an ongoing QB battle that refuses to name a king.

But Coach Prime slams the brakes on any talk of a starter. With the transfer portal lurking and a quarterback duel still raging, Sanders finally broke his silence — and he didn’t hold back. In a press conference, when a reporter asked the Colorado HC whether he’d name a starting quarterback ahead of the season, Sanders replied:

“No. Ain’t nobody care about that. Because I may change my mind tomorrow,” he fired off. “So what—what benefits us to name a guy starter? What does that do for us as a team? Nothing. That may do something for you guys—you can have something to talk about—but that don’t do nothing for us. It does nothing for us. So it don’t. I’m not doing that. Matter of fact, I don’t even know who’s going to be that guy right now anyway. So I don’t have the propensity to do it because I don’t know. They got to perform with consistency.” Well, if naming a QB1 isn’t of any help, Prime made it clear he won’t do it.

With all the quarterback competition swirling around Boulder, Deion Sanders might take his sweet time before naming a starter. Saturday’s scrimmage didn’t exactly tilt the scales—if anything, it kicked the decision further down the road. Neither five-star freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis nor Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter played their full hand, all eyes and ears. And let’s just say… the verdict’s still out. Coach Prime isn’t naming a QB1 anytime soon — and after Saturday, who can blame him?

JuJu Lewis looked every bit like a freshman feeling the weight of his first college reps. He leaned hard on checkdowns, missed some deeper shots, and misfired a handful of times—rookie jitters were on full display. The first-team defense clamped down early, and outside of a slick 16-yard dart to Kam Mikell, the Georgia prodigy played it safe.

Salter, meanwhile, looked like the seasoned vet he is — calm in chaos, slick on rollouts, and dangerous when the pocket didn’t crumble. He didn’t torch the field, but he definitely led the smoothest drives of the day, even with the second-team offense. His throws on the run? Clean. His decision-making? Mostly sharp. Right now, though, nobody’s sprinting ahead. The Buffs’ quarterback battle remains a slow burn.

Deion Sanders keeps it real about transfer portal poach

Just when the smoke from the QB battle started to clear — BAM! — Coach Prime shifted the gear. This time, not to his offense, not to the jersey retirements, but to the real villain lurking in the weeds: the spring transfer portal.

When asked what he learned about his team this spring, Sanders didn’t bother dressing it up. “What you mean a version?” he fired back. “It’s not a new version — we’re gonna do what we do.” Translation: Don’t expect CU to reinvent the wheel. This team’s identity isn’t changing. What’s changing is the personnel. With Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter headed to the NFL, the Buffs are adjusting to new pieces like Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis — but the expectations stay the same. “They’re different, man,” Sanders said. “We gotta know what they’re good at and implement that in our offense so we can move the ball consistently.”

The same goes for the defense. Coach Prime made it clear: they plan to dominate up front and dare teams to beat them through the air. “We’re gonna force teams to throw the ball,” he said. “I don’t feel like they’re gonna be able to successfully run the ball against us.” That’s when he dropped the line that hit social media like a thunderclap: “You’re probably gonna see that portal jumping on the back end in the next few days.” And he’s not wrong. College football lately has been all about bouncing—over 3,200 players have entered the portal this spring alone. It wasn’t just a prediction. It was a warning.

And then came the example. Earlier in the week, Freshman All-American center Cash Cleveland entered the transfer portal. He started the last four games of the season and was low-key projected to anchor the offensive line moving forward. Now he’s gone. Just like that, the Buffs got flipped by one of their best young pieces in the middle of spring.

Even worse? Sanders accused Virginia of tampering — again. First time, he let it slide. This time, he aired it out. He pointed at the Cavaliers for going after safety Carter Stoutmire, who’s expected to start this fall. While tampering is nothing new in the NIL era, few coaches actually say it out loud. Prime did. Stoutmire, to his credit, didn’t budge. “I don’t think there’s a number out there that could get me to leave,” he told reporters. “My loyalty is just so strong here.” But Prime knows it only takes one guy to say yes. One number to hit. One starter to walk.

Deion Sanders has added 19 transfers this cycle already. He plans to bring in 15 more. But with the portal wide open and programs with deeper pockets circling, CU’s biggest fight might not be on the field. Look, Colorado might be building through the portal, but Prime knows he’s got to defend against it too. Because in 2025, college football — if you’ve got talent, somebody’s trying to buy it. And Prime? He’s watching it all — with receipts in hand.