Deion Sanders jabs back at ‘too small’ critics after Buffs bully Georgia Tech on the ground

Deion Sanders remember when the internet decided the Colorado Buffaloes were too small, he kept the receipt

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Sep 4, 2026, 1:08 AM

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes walks off the f...

Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Remember when the internet decided the Colorado Buffaloes were a Pop Warner team?

Deion Sanders did. He mentioned it before the game on Thursday and he went right back to the well after it, too.

“I thought we were too small,” Sanders said after Colorado’s 14-13 upset at Georgia Tech on Thursday night, throwing the offseason’s loudest criticism right back at the people who made it.

The Buffaloes rushed for 183 yards against the Yellow Jackets — the second-highest total of Sanders’ four-year tenure in Boulder. Damian Henderson II led the way with 65 yards on 12 carries. Micah Welch added 58 yards and the game’s first touchdown on 13 carries. Georgia Tech’s Justice Haynes, a Michigan transfer who was supposed to be the best back on the field, managed 64 yards on 19 attempts.

By the third quarter, Colorado had out-rushed Georgia Tech 129-24.

The “too small” narrative began in spring ball when videos of CU’s skill players went viral. It happened again in fall camp. Social media zeroed in on the size of guys like wide receiver Quentin Gibson, listed at 5-foot-9 and 155 pounds, and declared the Buffaloes wouldn’t be able to compete physically in the Big 12. When asked about it at fall camp, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion had a two-word response: “Pull up.”

In Atlanta, in the humidity, against a legit ACC team, Colorado pulled up. They were really strong in the trenches on both sides. The offensive line created running lanes all night. Defensive lineman Lamont Lester Jr. added three sacks in his debut — the most by a CU player in their first game since 2003. And the group combined for 8.5 tackles for a loss.

The ground game was the story even before the finish. It kept Colorado alive through three quarters of an otherwise ugly offensive night from JuJu Lewis, who threw for just 124 yards. When Lewis finally got rolling on the game-winning drive, it was a 16-yard DeKalon Taylor rush on third down that set up the go-ahead touchdown.

Too small? Not in Week 1.

What’s next: Colorado hosts Weber State at Folsom Field next week in its home opener.