Well, it looks like Coach Prime’s standing at the fork in the lane holding the map upside down. The worst part is his own team is putting him in such a tricky spot. After leading Colorado to a remarkable turnaround from 4-8 to 9-4, he’s pushing his team relentlessly—perhaps too much. Despite losing key players like Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, his playoff ambitions remain intact. But the team lacks focus. Prime example? Their spring practices were lackluster, even drawing criticism from Warren Sapp. Sanders’s intensity is there, but his players haven’t caught up yet.

It’s weird how Coach Prime is the one pushing hard for spring games to start following an NFL-like structure so that they can play against other teams, but his team is already showing potholes going against each other. Their spring game on the 16th of April turned into a big mess of paradoxes. Warren Sapp laid out his frustration with a bold and critical remark after the practice, saying, “Jumping offsides, getting gassed on the quarterback run.” He didn’t just stop at that; he even made a sarcastic remark: “Why are you gonna make me drive me to drink, man?”

For now, the Buffs defense looks sloppy. But one practice can’t ignore the fact that Coach Prime’s team is also making progress this offseason. Two weeks into the spring practice, several players have stepped up to fill key defensive roles. Safety RJ Johnson looks set to solidify the secondary; defensive coordinator Robert Livingston praised his focus, saying, “I love the look in RJ’s eyes. I think he is poised to have a really good spring. So excited for him.” Even edge rusher Arden Walker, a Colorado legacy, brings strong leadership. Livingston noted, “He is a generational player here, so if he can step up and truly take that leadership role, that would be really cool.”

Even Coach Prime’s running back room looks promising. Their upcoming star, RB Isaiah Hardge, is stepping up to take charge of the team. And even Deion Sanders is pretty impressed by Hardge’s efforts, as he said, “He is coming into his own and playing the slot receiver. We’ve taken him off defense so he can focus on the slot. He’s going to do some incredible things this season. He’s doing really well.” Getting praised by Coach Prime sure means massive development.

Colorado’s special team’s woes may finally be over. New kicker Buck Buchanan, a Louisiana Tech transfer, boasts a powerful leg. Coach Prime is thrilled. “I just watched this guy (Buchanan) kick the other day; it was ridiculous. He was kicking field goals from kickoff; it was crazy.” On the offensive line, Jordan Seaton is developing into a leader. “He’s such a good young man, not just the talent, but the character,” Sanders said. “That’s what we’re looking for here at CU.”

But despite all of it, Coach Prime makes sure that he teaches them a lesson that they will never forget.

Coach Prime joining hands with Warren Sapp lands players in tricky position

Deion Sanders is always outspoken, particularly when advocating for what’s right. But it looks like his team isn’t exactly following him. Just weeks ago, ahead of the spring game, Coach Prime made sure he was clear with his squad on what he was expecting from them. And he didn’t stop at usual. “You’re getting ready to go home,” Sanders said. “You’re very popular. You got this white, black, and gold on, and everybody knows you. They’re going to entice you to do some things that you don’t normally do or some things that you used to do that you no longer want to do. You’ve gotta let that go; you’ve got to walk away.”

But fast forward to mid-April, and it appears that his message didn’t resonate. As the spring game approached, the Buffaloes found themselves firmly in Coach Prime’s disfavor. The warning signs began to emerge during a recent practice session, documented by Well Off Media on April 16th. This shows that Coach Prime is not happy with what he witnessed. His frustration stemmed not from missed assignments or technical errors but from a lack of effort.

“That’s the worst practice I’ve been in as a part of this school. We just had three plays; that’s all we want. There isn’t anybody out here that’s giving it their all in any one of those plays. Right now, let’s forget it. Put your helmets down, and let’s go ahead and condition. And we’re going to do a walkthrough. We aren’t getting nothing out of practice.” He made sure his team remembered this day and made sure this never happened. His move? “Coach Prime ended practice early today and made everybody run,” as per CFB alerts. Which is a part of his old-school tactics to make sure his team stays in their best form. Because after losing his star players Hunter and Shedeur to NFL Coach Prime, he isn’t sweating over excuses anymore.

Look, Coach Prime’s tough love isn’t new in Boulder. Last year, he supported a professor who criticized the team’s academics, reminding players that representing Colorado carries weight. He’s molding men, not just a football team. Then, back in his first year at Boulder, when his team won a game, Deion Sanders made it pretty clear that he was not satisfied with the way they won it. “I’m happy we won,” he said, “but not in the fashion that we won it in.” The mindset is still the same. With the spring game on April 19th, Sanders warned players against complacency, demanding focus in practice.