Chris Hudson thinks Deion Sanders is going to figure it out at Colorado, and he wants critics to get a closer look before they judge the Buffs too harshly. The former CU standout made that point earlier this week, saying people should go to practice and talk to the players before drawing conclusions about what is happening in BOULDER.
Hudson’s comments come at a time when Sanders’ tenure is under plenty of scrutiny. Going into this weekend’s Homecoming game, Sanders had posted an 18-23 record at CU, a mark that has fueled plenty of outside debate as the program continues to build under Coach Prime.
Hudson pushes back on the noise
Hudson said he is not on social media, but he still hears about the criticism around Sanders. His response was simple: understand what the coach is dealing with before passing judgment. Hudson said he would not want a coach’s job and added that Sanders stays because he cares. He also said Sanders is learning along the way and believes the coach will pull it out.
That defense matters because Hudson is not speaking from a distance. He is a Buffs legend and former CU defender who won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1994 after being named to the All-Big Eight first team three times from 1991-1994. Earlier in 2026, he became the 11th Buffs football player selected for the College Football Hall of Fame, and he was honored Saturday at Folsom Field by the National Football Foundation.
Why Hudson sees a familiar pattern
Hudson also drew a comparison to Bill McCartney, saying Sanders reminds him of Coach Mac and that McCartney did the same thing early in his CU tenure. The comparison is a useful one because it puts Sanders’ first 41 games and third season in a broader historical frame, rather than treating the current record as the final word on the program’s direction.
Hudson also pointed to the roster itself. He said he thinks the Buffs have a good team, that they are not as bad as people think, and that they are missing a couple pieces. He added that, with the NIL collective, he thinks Prime is doing an awesome job with what he has. That is the practical reality of this stage of the rebuild: the talent is there, but the margin for error is still thin.
Colorado is still searching for answers
The recent results have only added to the pressure. Colorado’s Year 4 team finished September 2-2, but back-to-back losses at Northwestern and at Baylor by a combined score of 64-20 brought the questions back into focus. Hudson, though, did not sound interested in joining the criticism.
Instead, his message was consistent: look at the work, look at the people in the building, and remember that the process is still ongoing. For a program that has lived in the spotlight all season, that kind of public backing from a former star offers a different lens on the same story. The record says one thing. Hudson, for now, is betting that Sanders and CU still have another chapter left to write.
