“Fights, guns, and money floating around”: Deion Sanders accused of bizarre locker room environment by former Colorado player

Many left Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes via the transfer portal this offseason. The Buffaloes used the portal like never before in 2023, bringing in more than 70 players after Sanders arrived at the program. However, some of them have taken the exit door this year.

The alleged unfavorable locker room environment under Deion Sanders has been a big reason for the exit of many of these players. Athlon had an interview with a few former players of the program who spoke anonymously and they cited how hostile the environment in Boulder was.

"It's like a real-life Grand Theft Auto video game," one former player said. "There are many distractions with fights, guns, and money floating around. The environment is unlike any I’ve come from before."

The Cormani McClain incident in Colorado

One of the former players delved further into the disturbing violence within the football program. The player was said to have described three separate incidents with the team over the past year that would be unimaginable in a typical college football locker room.

This perspective offers crucial context for understanding what transpired with former five-star recruit Cormani McClain and why his time in Boulder turned sour. McClain was a recruiting win for Deion Sanders but he hit the portal after just his freshman season in Boulder.

"Cormani was taking a lot of heat from everyone," the former player said. "At the same time Coach Prime was saying he was in the doghouse and needed to improve, Cormani was getting bullied by Shilo (Sanders).”

“After the Oregon State game, Shilo slapped him several times, which left Cormani screaming 'I'm going to kill you' repeatedly. After that, you could tell he wasn’t mentally there. It’s hard when the coaches you trust are calling you derogatory names on the practice field.”

Deion Sanders’ reaction to fighting in the Colorado team

Deion Sanders seems to condone fighting among players within the Colorado football team. His words while giving a weekly update to the press in November during the previous college football season offer a clue to this.

“We’ve had a great week of practice. We had a couple of fights, which I like,” Sanders said at the time. “It’s a great thing. I always want to know who won because I keep records. I don’t break them up. Some coaches break them up. I don’t. Some guys fight hoping for the break up. No, we’re going to let you go.”

Sanders doesn't run Colorado's football program the traditional way but the way he feels works best. He’s not new to college football, as he was previously at Jackson State, where he had success. It is to be seen whether his approach will work in Boulder.