Deion Sanders may lose 2 starters in must-win Colorado clash

Deion Sanders’ Colorado football team could be missing 2 key starters for a must-win road game against Arizona State this Saturday, according to the Big 12 player availability report.

Starting safety Naeten Mitchell is listed as doubtful.

Mitchell has started all eight games this season and played the third-most defensive snaps (563) for Colorado.

He was injured late in the fourth quarter of the Buffs’ Week 8 win over Kansas State.

If Mitchell cannot go, super senior Ben Finneseth is the next man up.

Finneseth had played just 13 defensive snaps all season prior to that Kansas State game.

He is primarily a special teams mainstay, not a starting safety.

Finneseth would likely start alongside Randon Fontenette at safety if Mitchell’s status is not upgraded.

The secondary is already thin.

Three defensive backs were dismissed from the team earlier this season.

Other injuries have further depleted the depth in the defensive backfield.

Colorado enters the game with a 3-5 record after ending a five-game losing streak against Kansas State.

The game against Arizona State is widely considered a must-win for the Buffaloes to keep any bowl hopes alive.

Sanders has been under scrutiny this season for more than just the injury report.

Former Colorado quarterback Bobby Pesavento, who led the team to the 2001 Big 12 championship, recently criticized Sanders for failing to embrace the program’s history.

Pesavento appeared on the Zero 2 Sixty podcast and did not hold back.

“I mean, at this point, is it surprising at all?”

Pesavento said. “Like, I mean, it sucks as a former player, right, that was part of something that was pretty special up there, that he's not aware of what it is.”

Pesavento argued that understanding a university’s traditions is essential for any college football coach.

“As college head coach, no matter who you are, you gotta embrace the history of wherever you're coaching, even if you don't have ties to that place,” Pesavento continued.

“There's donors. There's former players. There are fans. There's a community that rallies around that; you have to embrace it, and he's just doing a poor job of it.”

Sanders was asked about the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Big 12 championship and offered a general reflection rather than specific praise.

“I think I was a pro when they were really doing it, like really, really doing it,” Sanders said.

He also referenced his relationship with former Colorado quarterback Kordell Stewart, whom he played alongside with the Baltimore Ravens.

Separately, Sanders recently resolved a lawsuit filed by graphic designer Alan Tipp.

Tipp claimed he created the “Prime” logo for Sanders in 2011 and was never compensated.

The lawsuit was filed in January 2025 and sought a judgment in excess of $75,000.

Attorneys for both sides jointly asked a federal court in Nebraska to dismiss the case “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.

Such joint stipulations typically mean the case was settled.

Sanders’ attorney, Michael Kump, sent a statement to USA TODAY Sports saying no money was exchanged.

“The parties have agreed to fully resolve this action,” the statement said.

“Coach Sanders has posted a message on his Instagram page thanking Alan Tipp for his work. No money or other consideration was or will be exchanged as part of this resolution.”

Sanders addressed the matter on Instagram on Nov. 5 by thanking Tipp.