Deion Sanders was in his usual form when he met with reporters at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday, exuding his typical charisma while at the podium. However, the Colorado coach didn’t provide updates on his health.
Sanders said he wanted to keep the focus on his football team when he was asked about the challenges he’s faced as he’s been away from the program for the last couple of months due to an unknown health issue.
“Average day, I’m looking good. I’m living lovely,” Sanders told reporters. “God has truly blessed me. Not a care in the world. Not a want or desire in the world.”
While he was coy about his health status, Sanders thanked Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and the rest of the conference’s coaches for checking up on him during his recent struggles.
“I love them, they’ve been calling and checking on me, making sure I’m straight,” Sanders said.
Sanders, who’ll turn 58 in early August, missed Colorado’s annual summer camps in June due to the undisclosed health issue and has been spending time at his home in Texas. Big 12 Media Days were held in Frisco, which is roughly 90 minutes away from Sanders’ residence in Canton, Texas.
ADVERTISEMENT
The only information Sanders has shared about the illness came when he appeared on former NFL player Asante Samuel’s podcast in late May. As Samuel wished Sanders well, the Colorado coach said what he was “dealing with right now is at a whole ‘nother level” and that he had lost 14 pounds. Still, Sanders said he planned to return to coaching whenever the illness subsided.
Sanders certainly spoke like someone who would be back on the sideline for the upcoming season on Wednesday, fielding numerous questions over his near-20-minute-long press conference. In terms on-field matters, the biggest question surrounding Colorado is its quarterback situation. Colorado brought both Kaidon Salter and Julian “JuJu” Lewis to Big 12 Media Days this week, with Sanders saying he hasn’t decided which one of the two will replace his son yet.
“We brought both of them because we don’t know which one is going to start,” Sanders said.
In a follow-up, Sanders said there would be situations where he would feel comfortable playing both quarterbacks.
“As long as they’re doing their jobs and winning,” Sanders said. “We definitely want to continue to develop JuJu. But Kaidon is unbelievable. Kaidon is off the chain. He’s been there, done that and he can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him. But JuJu is coming around the mountain when he comes. I love him. I love what he brings to the table.
“I don’t know how it’s going to play out, as long as it plays out. We can’t lose either way, with either of those two.”
Salter was one of the top quarterbacks to transfer this past offseason. The former Liberty quarterback is 20-4 all-time as a starter, winning Conference USA’s Most Valuable Player in 2023 as he helped the Flames go 13-0 before losing in the Fiesta Bowl. He threw for 1,886 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions to go with 587 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 11 games last season.
Kaidon Salter is battling Julian “JuJu” Lewis for the starting quarterback job at Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images for ONIT) <!–>
–>
Lewis, meanwhile, was widely viewed as one of the best quarterback prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. The incoming freshman was ranked as the 10th-best quarterback in the class by 247 Sports.
Sanders also weighed in on larger matters throughout the college football landscape on Wednesday. When he was asked about his relationship with Texas Tech head Joey McGuire, Sanders ribbed his counterpart for the recent spending the program has done to land top transfers and recruits.
“Joey got some money! Joey, where you at, baby? Spending that money! I love it,” Sanders said with a wide grin. “Once upon a time, you guys was talking junk about me going in that portal. Now, when everyone go in the portal, it’s OK. It’s cool when they do it. It’s a problem when I do it.”
Sanders later said “I love me some Joey McGuire,” praising him for how he handled Texas Tech fans when they threw tortillas during Colorado’s game against the Red Raiders in Lubbock last season.
Still, Texas Tech has formed a squad that will likely threaten to try and take Colorado down from one of the top spots in the Big 12 in 2025 and beyond. The Red Raiders landed the No. 2 class in the transfer portal this offseason, via 247 Sports, reportedly spending more than $10 million to do so. Texas Tech also agreed to a lucrative revenue-sharing deal with 2026 five-star recruit Felix Ojo earlier in July.
Deion Sanders joked about Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire (left) at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) <!–>
–>
Texas Tech’s deal with Ojo was made possible after the approval of the House v. NCAA settlement in June, which allowed schools and student-athletes to agree to revenue-sharing deals starting on July 1. The approval of the lawsuit brought further questions about the future of college sports as schools will be allowed to spend roughly $20.5 million in revenue-sharing deals with student athletes for the 2025-26 academic year.
In his first comments since the approval of the lawsuit, Sanders iterated that he’d like to see a salary cap be implemented in college football moving forward.
“That’s what the NFL does,” Sanders said. “The problem is, you’ve got a guy that’s not that darn school and you could give him a half-million dollars and you can’t compete with that. That don’t make sense.
“All you have to do is look at the playoffs and see what those teams spent, and you understand darn near well why they’re in the playoffs. It’s kind of hard to compete with somebody that’s giving $25, $30 million to a freshman class. It’s crazy. We’re not complaining. … But what’s going on right now don’t make sense.”
Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
recommended
Get more from the College Football Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
MLB Could Seek to Implement a Salary Cap, But Players Might Push Back
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly pushing to implement a salary cap, at the behest of the league's owners. Bruce Meyer, the deputy executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, explained the inner workings of Manfred's potential plan, and stated that he expects "skepticism" from the players. Baseball is the only North American sport that does not have a salary cap, but the owners have pushed for it a handful of times over the last half-century. They even briefly forced one into existence during the 1994-1995 strike, before then-federal judge Sonia Sotomayor restored the previous collective bargaining agreement. In fact, Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein touched on the subject while talking at the World Economic Forum when he said: "I wish it would be the case that we would have a salary cap in baseball the way other […]
Hull FC beat Wakefield to end 356-day winless run at home
Hull FC won their first home game of the 2025 Super League season with a gutsy 16-10 win over Wakefield Trinity at the MKM Stadium.The Black and Whites had lost 11 and drawn one since they last prevailed at the MKM Stadium on July 20 last year and Max Jowitt's 10-point haul in the first half left them up against it once again. But Zak Hardaker, Jordan Rapana and Lewis Martin all touched down within the space of a dozen second-half minutes, with Jack Charles converting twice, to seal Hull's first win in eight attempts in 2025 on their own patch.All of Hull's previous eight victories in this campaign had come on the road, remarkably keeping them in contention for a top-six finish, but they overcame an error-strewn first 40 minutes on Thursday to claim some overdue home comforts.They looked […]
Rodinei revela conversa com torcedor que pagou R$ 1 milhão para ele enfrentar o Flamengo: “Não cheguei pedindo desculpas”
Rodinei foi titular colorado no Brasileirão de 2020 - Foto: Ricardo Duarte/InterEm um jogo que poderia até ter gerado o título antecipado do Brasileirão ao Internacional caso o resultado tivesse sido diferente, Rodinei acabou sendo um dos pivôs da derrota para o Flamengo, no Maracanã, por 2×1, na reta final do campeonato de 2020, que posteriormente seria vencido pelo próprio time rubro-negro. Titular colorado, o lateral-direito só enfrentou o ex-clube pelo pagamento de uma multa de R$ 1 milhão que estava prevista no seu contrato, e que foi paga por um torcedor colorado. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPor estar emprestado pelo Flamengo na época, Rodinei, que hoje defende o Olympiacos, da Grécia, só entraria em campo mediante tal pagamento, que foi feito através do torcedor Elusmar Maggi, investidor do ramo do agronegócio, por meio de doação ao Internacional. Mas se engana quem pensa […]
The Jalen Williams extension: The Thunder’s model will keep working … if ownership remains committed
Here's a number that will make your head spin: $822 million.That's what the Oklahoma City Thunder have committed in extensions for their star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt makes sense. They're the team's best players, and the organization is just coming off its championship in which they were led by, well, two of them.(We'll get there.)For an organization that cheaped out of retaining James Harden after its 2012 NBA Finals appearance, the Thunder have turned the page and sent a strong message to the rest of the league: We're willing to pay to potentially become a dynasty.This is, unquestionably, a great sign to send to players, agents and fans. The potential of becoming a perennial powerhouse and being the inheritor of the Golden State Warriors' dominance in the mid 2010s could lead to an extreme rise […]
Clown? Backmarker? Santino Ferrucci And Conor Daly Not Mincing Words
<!--> [--> Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> --> DES MOINES, Iowa — What is worse: being called a "clown" or a "backmarker?"In the latest rejuvenated INDYCAR beef, Conor Daly and Santino Ferrucci are throwing shade on their long-running history of not exactly seeing eye to eye on things. To make things even better, both could be in contention for their first career INDYCAR victory on Saturday and/or Sunday in the Iowa Speedway doubleheader weekend."I just got caught up messing with a backmarker," Ferrucci told me Thursday about his tangle with Daly in the race last Sunday at Mid-Ohio. "We would have finished inside the top 10. I’m mad at myself."For context, a backmarker is a driver who regularly races in the back of the field rather than among the leaders in the front.Their battle at Mid-Ohio ended up with INDYCAR […]
Ryan Reid, former Florida State basketball player, dies at 38
Getty Images Former Florida State basketball Ryan Reid died Wednesday, French professional basketball club SLUC Nancy Basket shared. Reid spent four seasons with the Seminoles from 2006-10 as a key piece in the earlier years of the Leonard Hamilton era. Reid appeared in 126 games and made 66 starts over his four-year career. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward averaged 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. His true impact often came in ways that didn't show up in the box score.A tenacious defender and team-first player, Reid earned a reputation as one of the best defensive forwards in the country during his time in Tallahassee. He was often tasked with guarding opponents' top scorers and took pride in doing the dirty work for a program that was building toward national relevance.Reid became a team captain as a […]
Related
MLB Could Seek to Implement a Salary Cap, But Players Might Push Back
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred is reportedly pushing to implement a salary cap, at the behest of the league's owners. Bruce Meyer, the deputy executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, explained the inner workings of Manfred's potential plan, and stated that he expects "skepticism" from the players. Baseball is the only North American sport that does not have a salary cap, but the owners have pushed for it a handful of times over the last half-century. They even briefly forced one into existence during the 1994-1995 strike, before then-federal judge Sonia Sotomayor restored the previous collective bargaining agreement. In fact, Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein touched on the subject while talking at the World Economic Forum when he said: "I wish it would be the case that we would have a salary cap in baseball the way other […]
Hull FC beat Wakefield to end 356-day winless run at home
Hull FC won their first home game of the 2025 Super League season with a gutsy 16-10 win over Wakefield Trinity at the MKM Stadium.The Black and Whites had lost 11 and drawn one since they last prevailed at the MKM Stadium on July 20 last year and Max Jowitt's 10-point haul in the first half left them up against it once again. But Zak Hardaker, Jordan Rapana and Lewis Martin all touched down within the space of a dozen second-half minutes, with Jack Charles converting twice, to seal Hull's first win in eight attempts in 2025 on their own patch.All of Hull's previous eight victories in this campaign had come on the road, remarkably keeping them in contention for a top-six finish, but they overcame an error-strewn first 40 minutes on Thursday to claim some overdue home comforts.They looked […]
Rodinei revela conversa com torcedor que pagou R$ 1 milhão para ele enfrentar o Flamengo: “Não cheguei pedindo desculpas”
Rodinei foi titular colorado no Brasileirão de 2020 - Foto: Ricardo Duarte/InterEm um jogo que poderia até ter gerado o título antecipado do Brasileirão ao Internacional caso o resultado tivesse sido diferente, Rodinei acabou sendo um dos pivôs da derrota para o Flamengo, no Maracanã, por 2×1, na reta final do campeonato de 2020, que posteriormente seria vencido pelo próprio time rubro-negro. Titular colorado, o lateral-direito só enfrentou o ex-clube pelo pagamento de uma multa de R$ 1 milhão que estava prevista no seu contrato, e que foi paga por um torcedor colorado. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPor estar emprestado pelo Flamengo na época, Rodinei, que hoje defende o Olympiacos, da Grécia, só entraria em campo mediante tal pagamento, que foi feito através do torcedor Elusmar Maggi, investidor do ramo do agronegócio, por meio de doação ao Internacional. Mas se engana quem pensa […]
The Jalen Williams extension: The Thunder’s model will keep working … if ownership remains committed
Here's a number that will make your head spin: $822 million.That's what the Oklahoma City Thunder have committed in extensions for their star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt makes sense. They're the team's best players, and the organization is just coming off its championship in which they were led by, well, two of them.(We'll get there.)For an organization that cheaped out of retaining James Harden after its 2012 NBA Finals appearance, the Thunder have turned the page and sent a strong message to the rest of the league: We're willing to pay to potentially become a dynasty.This is, unquestionably, a great sign to send to players, agents and fans. The potential of becoming a perennial powerhouse and being the inheritor of the Golden State Warriors' dominance in the mid 2010s could lead to an extreme rise […]
Clown? Backmarker? Santino Ferrucci And Conor Daly Not Mincing Words
<!--> [--> Bob Pockrass FOX Motorsports Insider <!--> --> DES MOINES, Iowa — What is worse: being called a "clown" or a "backmarker?"In the latest rejuvenated INDYCAR beef, Conor Daly and Santino Ferrucci are throwing shade on their long-running history of not exactly seeing eye to eye on things. To make things even better, both could be in contention for their first career INDYCAR victory on Saturday and/or Sunday in the Iowa Speedway doubleheader weekend."I just got caught up messing with a backmarker," Ferrucci told me Thursday about his tangle with Daly in the race last Sunday at Mid-Ohio. "We would have finished inside the top 10. I’m mad at myself."For context, a backmarker is a driver who regularly races in the back of the field rather than among the leaders in the front.Their battle at Mid-Ohio ended up with INDYCAR […]
Ryan Reid, former Florida State basketball player, dies at 38
Getty Images Former Florida State basketball Ryan Reid died Wednesday, French professional basketball club SLUC Nancy Basket shared. Reid spent four seasons with the Seminoles from 2006-10 as a key piece in the earlier years of the Leonard Hamilton era. Reid appeared in 126 games and made 66 starts over his four-year career. The 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward averaged 5.0 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. His true impact often came in ways that didn't show up in the box score.A tenacious defender and team-first player, Reid earned a reputation as one of the best defensive forwards in the country during his time in Tallahassee. He was often tasked with guarding opponents' top scorers and took pride in doing the dirty work for a program that was building toward national relevance.Reid became a team captain as a […]
Be the first to leave a comment