Boulder, Colo. — Sanders Dismisses Job Security Talk as Colorado Slides

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders said Saturday he is not concerned about his job security after the Buffaloes fell to Arizona State, 20-10, their sixth loss in seven games, according to the New York Post.

Asked directly after the game in Tempe whether his job was on the line, Sanders answered without hedging, per the Post's transcript of his remarks.

What did Sanders say about his job security?

"I don't think about that, man. I'm not here for my job. I'm here for these young men. I'm not, I'm not built like that. Like, like, I'm really not. I'm really, really, really not," Sanders said, according to the New York Post.

Sanders also acknowledged the program's trajectory has not matched expectations, telling reporters "this is not how it's supposed to be" for his Colorado team, the Post reported. He did not address specific benchmarks — wins, bowl eligibility, or administrative conversations — that would typically define a coach's standing; his comments addressed only his personal motivation for staying in the job.

What is Colorado's record this season?

The loss to Arizona State left Colorado at 6-15 overall since the start of last season and 2-13 in Big 12 play, per the Post. That mark follows a 2024 campaign in which Sanders, his son Shedeur, and two-way player Travis Hunter led the Buffaloes to their first nine-win season in more than eight years. Both players departed for the NFL after that season, and the program has not replicated that level of performance since, according to the report.

What happened in the loss to Arizona State?

Colorado's offense stalled for most of the first half, managing only 103 total yards against the Sun Devils — with 62 of those yards coming in the final 45 seconds of the half, per the Post's account. The Buffaloes did not record a first down until roughly seven minutes into the second quarter, and that possession ended when quarterback Isaac Wilson was sacked for a 24-yard loss on fourth-and-6 at Arizona State's 34-yard line.

Colorado's lone offensive highlight — a 74-yard touchdown pass from Wilson to Ernest Campbell — was nullified by an illegal-man-downfield penalty, the Post reported. The team has also cycled through multiple starting quarterbacks this season without settling on a consistent option, according to the report.

What has changed since the 2024 season?

Sanders arrived at Colorado in 2023 after building a program at Jackson State, and his first full season with Shedeur Sanders at quarterback and Hunter as a two-way standout restored the Buffaloes to national relevance, per the Post. The departures of both players to the NFL coincided with the team's decline to 2-13 in conference play, though the Post's report does not attribute the drop-off to any single cause beyond the roster turnover and the ongoing quarterback search.

What does Colorado need to do to become bowl eligible?

Colorado must win its final three regular-season games — against Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF — to reach bowl eligibility this season, according to the Post. Sanders did not address those remaining games directly in his comments on job security, focusing instead on his stated commitment to the players on the roster.

What to watch

• Colorado's quarterback rotation over the final three games, after multiple changes already this season, per the Post.
• The outcome against Houston, the next game on Colorado's schedule, as the first test of the team's bowl push.
• Whether Colorado athletics officials make any public statement on Sanders' status, given his remarks ruling out personal concern over the job.
• Colorado's full three-game stretch against Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF, which will determine whether the Buffaloes reach bowl eligibility for the season, according to the Post.

Colorado's administration has not issued a separate statement on Sanders' tenure beyond his own remarks following the Arizona State loss, based on the available reporting.