Deion Sanders has made a change after all.

After Sanders again declined to confirm if there have been changes made to duties on the Colorado coaching staff, USA Today reported Wednesday Sanders had stripped offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur of play-calling duties before last week’s game against Arizona.

Tight ends coach Brett Bartolone was elevated to offensive coordinator in charge of calling plays, while Shurmur is the quarterbacks coach.

“I might’ve already changed (things) and you don’t know,” Coach Prime said Tuesday. “I don’t do stuff and blow the whistles and make major announcements. I do it and I let you guys still take shots and you may be shooting at the wrong target.”

Maybe Sanders was referring to swapping offensive play callers.

The Buffaloes (3-6, 1-5 Big 12) visit West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) on Saturday (10 a.m., TNT).

There has been pressure from the fan base on Shurmur, a former Broncos offensive coordinator who spent multiple decades in the NFL before joining the CU staff, for the majority of the season. The Buffs’ offense never found a rhythm with veteran transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter under center.

Shurmur’s contract expires at the end of 2025. It seems likely he will not return in 2026.

CU is 3-6 and in danger of missing a bowl game with an offense that ranks second-to-last in the Big 12 in points and yards per game. And neither Shurmur nor Salter are in the roles they started the season with.

It’s an ironic move of sorts for Sanders. Around this time in 2023, he stripped Sean Lewis of play-calling duties and elevated Shurmur from an analyst role to offensive coordinator amid the team’s offensive struggles during Coach Prime’s first season with the Buffs.

As the only member of the offensive staff with previous play-calling experience, Bartolone was a natural fit for an in-season change. He was Sanders’ offensive coordinator at Jackson State during the 2022 season and has been with the Buffs for the past three seasons — one as wide receivers coach, the last two as tight ends coach.

The one-game sample size suggests it has not made a difference so far; people who follow CU closely couldn’t even tell it was Bartolone, not Shurmur, calling plays in a 52-17 loss to Arizona.

It seems likely Sanders will bring in a new offensive coordinator during the offseason. Perhaps his close friend and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, Byron Leftwich, will pursue a permanent position on the Buffs’ coaching staff after spending time with the team during short periods over the past few seasons.

“Some things take place that you may not be privy to,” Coach Prime said. “That’s up to you to notice.”