Deion Sanders had time to clap back to critics on social media.
The Colorado football coach — who’s been in the news due to former players’ claims about his program and treatment — threw shade at Jaheim Ward, a sophomore defensive back for Austin Peay, amid a back-and-forth with Buffaloes receiver Kaleb Mathis.
Mathis and Ward exchanged insults after former Colorado safety Xavier Smith told the Athletic that Sanders “never even tried to get to know me,” and that he “was destroying guys’ confidence and belief in themselves.”
Taking to his X account Tuesday, a day after the article was published, Mathis posted a video of himself out playing Smith in a practice last spring. The video appears to have been deleted.
Ward, who was Smith’s teammates at Austin Peay in 2023, replied to Mathis’ message with: “Bruh you had 38 yards last year stop trying to down play somebody.”
In a followup post, he added, “you won’t run that one on one back with him now” with a clown emoji.
That’s when Sanders entered the chat.
The Hall of Fame defensive back reposted a screenshot of Ward’s stats — 36 tackles over the past three seasons — and wrote: “Lawd Jesus.”
Mathis replied, “Omg” with three crying-laughing emojis.
Ward clapped back with a diss at Sanders’ son, Shilo Sanders that read: “Damm it’s crazy I got more pass deflections then your son,” with a screenshot of Shilo’s stats and clown emojis.
Sanders’ post came after his son, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders responded to Smith’s comments in a post on X.
“Ion even remember him tbh,” Shedeur said. “Bro had to be very mid at best.”
Smith, who was plagued by injuries in his short stint at Colorado, took his talents to the University of Texas at El Paso and reunited with Scotty Walden, his former coach at Austin Peay.
Smith’s comments to The Athletic came less than two weeks after Colorado cornerback Cormani McClain — who entered the transfer portal last month — appeared to throw shade at the Buffaloes’ program and Sanders during a Q&A in a YouTube video.
“Some people just gotta take a step back from things sometimes, certain people, you know,” McClain said. “I feel like I just don’t want to play for clicks. I actually want to be involved with a great leading program that’s going to develop players.”
Sanders also fired back at another X user, who said, “Tell yo son stop act like he the coldest out here then put up a 4-8 season.”
They were referring to Colorado’s record last season.
Sanders replied: “He will be a top 5 pick. Where yo son going ? Lololol I got time today. Lololol.”
Fourteen scholarship players at Colorado entered the transfer portal since the start of the spring transfer period on April 16, according to ESPN.
That is in addition to the 12 players who entered the portal from November to March.
Sanders is looking for a bounce back season in 2024 after last year’s 4-8 record.
