What happened to Colorado football?

Quick Scoop

Colorado football has swung from a breakout year into a reset. After the buzz around Deion Sanders brought national attention, the program took a step back in 2025, finishing 3-9 overall and 1-8 in Big 12 play, with major roster turnover and staff changes shaping the latest story line.

[5][9]

What changed

  • The stars left. Colorado lost Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders to the NFL, and that removed two of the biggest reasons the team was so visible and dangerous.
    • [5]
  • The results slipped. The Buffaloes dropped from a 9-4 season in 2024 to 3-9 in 2025, and the offense and defense both regressed.
    • [9][5]
  • The roster is being rebuilt. Recent coverage shows Colorado leaning hard on the transfer portal again, adding multiple players while also losing contributors, which makes the program feel like a constant rebuild rather than a finished product.
    • [2][6]
  • The staff is also changing. Reports in early 2026 say the coaching staff has seen turnover, including Domata Peko’s departure to the NFL.
    • [9]

Why people are talking about it

Colorado became one of college football’s biggest trend stories because of Coach Prime’s arrival, the celebrity factor, and the rapid rise from 1-11 in 2023 to a much better 2024 season. The problem is that the follow-up season exposed how much the team depended on a few elite players and how thin the depth still was underneath.

[5][9]

Forum vibe

Fans on Colorado message boards are actively discussing coaching, roster moves, and whether the program can stabilize after the recent slide.
[3][7]

Bottom line

So, what happened to Colorado football? The short version is: the hype was real, the peak arrived fast, and then the team had to survive major departures, portal churn, and a rough 2025 season. The next chapter depends on whether the rebuild can turn all that attention into depth and consistency.

[10][2][9][5]

TL;DR: Colorado football went from breakout buzz to a rebuilding phase after losing key stars, finishing 3-9 in 2025, and cycling through more roster and staff changes.

[9][5]