WATCH: Deion Sanders' Colorado players chant in unison to hype up Herman Smith III's intense gym workout

The atmosphere at Colorado continues to lighten up ahead of the 2024 college football season. The program suffered a huge disappointment in the previous season and is hoping to bounce back in the upcoming campaign as Deion Sanders enters his second year in Boulder.

In a recent workout session, the Buffaloes players were seen in excitement as they hyped up one of their own. Senior safety Herman Smith III was involved in an intense arm press workout in the team’s gym and his teammates gathered to cheer him up as they counted up to 50.

This nicely showcased the spirit in the Colorado team ahead of the upcoming season. After witnessing a significant exodus via the transfer portal this offseason, the entire team is putting their heads together as they anticipate something big in coming months.

Deion Sanders believes he is getting better ahead of the 2024 season

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders dealt with significant health issues ahead of the 2023 college football season. The Pro Football Hall of Famer navigated a blood clot in his leg and went through two surgeries, which made him miss the Pac-12 Media Days.

However, Sanders feels he is in a much better situation ahead of the 2024 college football season. His recovery has been quite outstanding in the last year and his medical team is working intensively to ensure he is ready to run out of the tunnel in the upcoming season.

"I'm getting better," Sanders said (h/t BuffsBeat). "My health journey has been a tremendous challenge but a learning experience as well. I remember last year close to this time, I had two surgeries in my thighs to remove blood clots and the goal was just to run out the first game before my team."

Will Colorado bounce back in the upcoming season?

After Deion Sanders took the Colorado job ahead of the 2023 season, there was a lot of attention and hype on the program through the college football landscape. They lived up to it with their performance in the first three games of the season before losing the tempo.

However, the Buffaloes are working to bounce back and become a team that many expect in the 2024 college football season. The program will be playing in the Big 12 in the 2024 season and this comes as a new challenge for Sanders and his team.

While the sportsbooks are giving them a slim chance for the upcoming campaign, the Buffaloes could turn out to be the dark horses in the expanded Big 12.