Colorado Daily

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Colorado Daily – Spring/Summer – 2025

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May 20th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU Spring Transfers: A dozen in: a dozen still to go?

From the Daily Camera … Last season at Incarnate Word, DeKalon Taylor made a habit of producing explosive plays.

Colorado is hoping Taylor can do the same this season in Boulder, but he’ll need some of the other newcomers to step up around him – especially the big guys up front.

More than a month after the Buffaloes’ spring game, nearly a dozen transfers have joined the herd, with the emphasis on offense thus far. Here’s a look at the newcomers that have been added so far this spring, with about a dozen scholarship spots still open.

Running back: The 5-foot-9, 166-pound Taylor is a speedster who got an opportunity to start in the backfield last season at Incarnate Word and took advantage. He rushed for 909 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 6.0 yards per carry. He had several runs of 30-plus yards, including a 97-yard touchdown. Also an exceptional returner, Taylor scored on a punt return last year. In the spring, CU head coach Deion Sanders said the staff planned to add two running backs, but Taylor is the only addition so far. There are only three other scholarship backs, so the Buffs could add another one or two.

Offensive line: This area has been a priority for two years and after adding four linemen in January, the Buffs have signed three more this spring. Xavier Hill (6-4, 318) was first-team all-conference at Memphis last year and he can play tackle or guard. He might turn out to be one of the best additions of the offseason. Last week, CU added former Maryland tackle Andre Roye Jr. (6-6, 294), who started seven games last year. Also added this spring was former Tennessee backup tackle Larry Johnson III (6-7, 348), who will compete for a starting role. The spring additions put CU at 14 scholarship linemen. There could be another one or two (particularly at center) on the way.

… Read full story here …

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May 17th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Miss Peggy/Rick George to serve as honorary starters for the Bolder Boulder

From the Daily Camera … Once again, the Colorado athletics department will hold down a marquee spot at the Bolder Boulder.

On Friday, race organizers announced the annual Memorial Day 10K will feature CU athletic director Rick George and Buffaloes superfan Peggy Coppom as the event’s official starters.

Coppom, a staple at more than 2,500 Colorado sporting events whose fame has expended nationally since Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders took over as the Buffs’ football coach, received the Chancellor’s Impact Award at CU’s commencement earlier this month.

The 100-year-old Coppom will be joined at the starting line for the 45th Bolder Boulder by George, CU’s athletic director since 2013. The duo will join a long list of CU athletics dignitaries who have served as Bolder Boulder’s official starter, a club that includes former football coach Gary Barnett, 2016 Olympic bronze medalists Emma Coburn and Jenny Simpson, men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle, former athletic director Mike Bohn and “Voice of the Buffs” Mark Johnson.

“Rick George has been a transformative leader for CU Athletics, and Peggy Coppom represents the heart and soul of Buffs fandom,” race director Cliff Bosley said in a news release from the Bolder Boulder. “Their presence on the starting line is a tribute to the university’s connection to the Boulder community and the spirit of perseverance and celebration that the race stands for.”

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May 14th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Netflix announces new “Prime Time” three-episode series

From On3Sports … Netflix announced a new program on the streaming service: Prime Time, starring Deion Sanders for 2026. It’s slated to be a three-episode series with each episode lasting 60 minutes.

The Colorado coach doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. Previously, Sanders had a camera and documentary crew follow him for an Amazon Prime show that followed him at Jackson State and Colorado.

“Guess what, I heard a rumor,” Sanders said in the video. “I ain’t one for rumors, but I heard a rumor. Prime Time, is going prime time on Netflix in 2026. Oh! Now give me my theme music.”

Sanders is 13-12 in two seasons at Colorado after going 27-6 at Jackson State over the course of three years. He led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record last year, a No. 25 ranking and an Alamo Bowl appearance.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 13th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU v. Georgia Tech set for 6:00 p.m., MT, on Friday, August 29th (ESPN)

Press release from CUBuffs.com … For the third straight season in the Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders Era, the Buffaloes have a game announced as part of the major networks Upfront as ABC has announced the Colorado home game with Georgia Tech on Friday, August 29, will kickoff at 6 p.m. MT and be televised by ESPN.

The Upfronts are presentations by major networks to showcase a concentrated portfolio of sports, entertainment, news and streaming platforms to advertisers during May sweeps.

As part of its Upfront presentation, ABC announced four Big 12 games in Week 0 and Week 1 of the college football season.  Besides CU’s season opener against Georgia Tech, it was announced the Iowa State vs. Kansas State on August 23 in Dublin, Ireland, will kickoff at 10 a.m. MT on ESPN, the Nebraska at Cincinnati game on Thursday, August 28 at 7 p.m. MT on ESPN and the September 1 Labor Day match up when TCU heads to North Carolina will kickoff at 6 p.m. MT, also on ESPN.

Last season, two CU games were announced during various Upfront presentations, with North Dakota State (ABC) and Nebraska (NBC) both being featured games.  Two years ago, CU’s game with TCU was announced at the FOX Upfront presentation.

The season opener on ESPN will continue the Buffs appearances on major national networks at an unprecedented rate in the Coach Prime era, as this will mark a CU record 14 straight games on either network television or the flagship ESPN.  Last season saw every game selected as such for the first time in CU history and the first time more than nine games were selected.  In the Coach Prime Era, 21 of 25 games have been on network TV or the flagship ESPN.

CU has also had two of its three Spring Games on ESPN in the last three years, in 2023 being the only such game televised on the main ESPN channel, and one of just two on either ESPN or ESPN2, and this past season CU was the only spring game not on a conference network or streaming service after being televised by ESPN2.  CU also had its NFL Showcase Pro Day televised by NFL Network last month, continuing that unprecedented spotlight on the program.

Although Colorado and Georgia Tech have never met on the gridiron, they share a history as the two teams that split the 1990 National Championship, with the Buffs being named the consensus national champions, including by the Associated Press while the Yellow Jackets edged the Buffs by a single point in the UPI/Coaches poll.

The ensuing controversy helped lead to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, the precursor to the Bowl Championship Series and eventually the College Football Playoffs.  The Buffs were also crowned National Champions by the Football Writers Association of America, the National Football Foundation, and in the USA Today/CNN poll.

The game is the first of a home-and-home that will see the Buffs head to Atlanta on Sept. 5, 2026.  The Buffs are 18-22 against current members of the ACC, which includes a combined 11-14 record against California and Stanford, and a 7-8 mark against the other teams in the league.

The Buffs had a success stretch of Spring Football and culminated at the Spring Game in late April.

CU currently has signed 41 newcomers through the transfer portal (28) or high school (13) and that includes a CU record 13 players who were four or five star recruits either in high school or in the portal.  Five star QB Julian Lewis headlines the class from high school that includes seven 4-star recruits including MaxPreps National Player of the Year Quentin Gibson.

Another former 5-star recruit joined the Buffs since the conclusion of spring ball with WR Hykeem Williams joining the Buffs from Florid State.  Lewis is the fourth 5-star recruit that CU has singed under Coach Prime and Williams is the fifth player who was a 5-star at some point and Coach Prime has now recruited five of the seven total 5-stars CU has signed in the past 25 years.

Liberty transfer QB Kaidon Salter and Alabama DL Jehiem Oatis, who was the top ranked player in the portal when the Buffs signed him, along with Williams headline the list of transfers the Buffs have signed to date.  CU has added several new transfers since the end of Spring Football, as well.

Currently ranked the No. 24 class by 247, this is the third straight top 25 class Coach Prime has signed.

Key returners include 2024 5-star OT Jordan Seaton, who is one of three returning true freshmen to start on offense alongside WR Dre’lon Miller and RB Micah Welch.  Also returning are an experience defensive backfield with Preston Hodge, DJ McKinney, and Carter Stoutmire  gaining valuable experience while edge players Samuel Okunlola, Keaton Wade and Arden Walker all made big plays defensively for the Buffaloes.

Times and television for CU’s games against Delaware (Sept. 6, Folsom Field) and at Houston (Friday, Sept. 12) will be announced in late May or early June when the television partners of the Big 12 and other Power 4 conferences make their initial TV selections.  After the third week of the season, times and television will be selected 12 days ahead of gameday with the exception of four six-day selections the TV partners can engage contractually throughout the season.

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May 12th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Travis Hunter’s simple act of kindness makes national news

From Sports Illustrated … Travis Hunter spent this past weekend working out with his new team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, at their rookie minicamp and while he went through drills on the field, a moment he had off the field went viral for all the right reasons.

In case you missed it, a woman who sat next to Hunter on flight from Denver last week became his biggest fan thanks to the respectful way he carried himself.

“I had the most wonderful flight home from Denver,” Sandy Hawkins Combs wrote in a Facebook post. “I met the nicest young man who sat next to me. He offered to put my bag in the overhead compartment and helped me with my tray. He was always polite, saying ‘yes ma’am’ or ‘no ma’am.’ Anyone would be proud to have him as a son or grandson—so polite.”

She later found out why so many people were interested in him:

“People walking by were saying congratulations, great job, or even taking pictures. I turned and asked him, ‘Who am I sitting next to?’ I looked at his Jaguar pants, smiled, and asked, ‘Are you an athlete?’ He smiled and said, ‘I’m Travis. Yes, I was drafted by the Jags.’ I already told my sons I want his jersey. He’s so humble and down-to-earth—I would have never guessed he was a professional athlete. JACKSONVILLE JAGS, you did good! I will be buying tickets. United Airlines, thank you for my seat assignment!”

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May 9th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Four-corners schools: CU’s budget breakdown the best for FY ’23-’24

From the San Jose Mercury News … Later this month, the Pac-12 will reveal the state of its finances prior to implosion with the release of federal tax filings for the 2024 fiscal year. But initial clarity has emerged, courtesy of the revenue-and-expense reports submitted by the schools to the NCAA.

The picture has a deep red hue and the unmistakable outline of campus subsidies written in indelible ink.

Athletic departments at the 10 public universities reported a combined $110 million shortfall, with $1.34 billion in revenue against $1.45 billion in expenses. Washington led all schools in both revenue ($190.9 million) and expenses ($200.1 million), while Washington State booked the lowest totals in both categories ($89.5 million and $89.1 million, respectively).

(Figures for the two private universities, Stanford and USC, were not reported.)

But in that fraught final year — with 10 schools preparing to join other leagues and Washington State and Oregon State fighting for survival — all but one athletic department relied heavily on school support.

That support typically takes two forms: 1) direct transfers from central campus; and 2) student fees that are allocated to athletics. In each case, the support is booked as revenue in accordance with the NCAA’s financial reporting rules.

In all, the public schools provided athletic departments with $197.4 million in support as Arizona State, Cal and UCLA accounted for more than half the total. (Details below.)

Oregon is the only school that did not book any student fees or direct transfers as revenue, and the Ducks managed to report an operating surplus of $1.9 million.

Here’s a look at the key numbers and notable nuggets for each Pac-12 legacy school in the 2023-24 fiscal year, based on information disclosed in the NCAA financial reports:

— Arizona booked $134.5 million in revenue against $154.9 million in expenses for a shortfall of $20.4 million. The revenue total includes $13.9 million in student fees and direct campus transfers. (That figure tracks with the prior year’s amount.) Remove the campus support, and Arizona’s operating shortfall climbs to $34.3 million — a significant amount, yes, but less than the FY2023 total ($43.5 million), which included a $31.6 million loan to athletics.

— Arizona State booked $144.1 million in revenue against $144.1 million in expenses. The revenue total includes $49.3 million in campus support, of which approximately 25 percent came from student fees and the rest from direct transfers. ASU restructured in FY2024, embedding the athletic department into the university. However, the bottom line is effectively unchanged from the prior year, when athletics showed a $43.7 million shortfall when campus support was removed from the calculation.

— Colorado booked $146.6 million in revenue against $138.3 million in expenses for a surplus of $8.3 million. The revenue total includes $28.8 million in campus support. Football ticket revenue for the 2023 season, the first under coach Deion Sanders, was $31.2 million, compared to $13 million during the prior year. Football revenue overall increased $14.6 million year-over-year despite a $3 million drop in conference-related revenue that CU allocated to the football program.

— Utah booked $109.8 million in revenue against $126.8 million in expenses for a shortfall of $17 million. The revenue includes $11.1 million in campus support. The Utes recorded a negative number for conference distributions unrelated to media rights or the football postseason (-$6.9 million) to reflect the money withheld by the conference as part of the negotiated settlement. They included an addendum to the financial report, as well: “Most of the deficit can be traced to the breakup of the Pac-12 Conference and significantly reduced distributions due to: the negotiated exit agreement; legal fees; overpayment of prior year television distributions” (i.e., Comcast).

… Read full story here …

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May 8th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Defensive back Carter Stoutmire: “Anywhere they put me, I’m just ready to play”

From the Daily Camera … Last year, safety Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig was the heart of a Colorado defense that made significant improvement over the previous season.

Silmon-Craig is now in the NFL, trying to earn a spot with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but his impact on the Buffaloes will still be felt this year.

Junior safety Carter Stoutmire has been mentored by Silmon-Craig the past two years and is aiming to step into his shoes this season.

“Really, what Cam was for this defense last year, I’m just trying to be what he was last year,” Stoutmire said. “Just going out there, making plays, really, wherever they put me. I’m just ready to play ball.”

The son of 11-year NFL veteran safety Omar Stoutmire, Carter came to CU out of Prestonwood Christian (Texas) Academy in 2023 and has done a bit of everything for the Buffs’ defense.

“Carter, as we all know, is a little bit of a Swiss Army Knife for us,” CU defensive coordinator Robert Livingston said. “Can play outside, play in the slot, play in the post. I’m excited to kind of get him to one spot, so he can grow there.”

Stoutmire played cornerback as a freshman in 2023, even making one start. Mostly filling a backup role, he posted 11 tackles.

This past year, he played in all 13 games, including three starts at safety for an injured Shilo Sanders and the last four games as the starting nickel in place of injured Preston Hodge. He finished ninth on the defense in total snaps played (526), while ranking sixth in tackles (42) and tied for third in pass breakups (seven).

“It’s great,” he said of the experience from last year. “Just being able to get more experience at different positions. Whenever they could throw me out at any position, I just know I’ll be ready.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 6th

… CU in a few minutes … 

College coaches don’t understand Shedeur’s draft: “I thought he’d fall but not like this”

From ESPN … Few groups have a better perspective of the draft than college coaches, who directly worked with or coached against the players hearing their names called last weekend. The transfer portal itself is also a factor, as the increased movement of players exposes them to more coaches before they finish their college careers.

ESPN spoke with coaches and coordinators in every Power 4 league, both ahead of and after the draft, to gather opinions on standouts, snubs, team performances and much more.

Here’s an evaluation of the 2025 NFL draft through the eyes of college coaches. (Note: Coaches are listed according to their roles during the 2024 season.)

Why did Shedeur Sanders fall so far?

The biggest story during the first two days of the draft was a player not selected: Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Once projected as a top-five pick, Sanders fell all the way to No. 144, going in the fifth round after the Cleveland Browns traded up for him.

Coaches tracked the Sanders saga throughout the weekend. A defensive coordinator who faced Sanders wasn’t surprised by the initial hesitancy, saying, “I thought he’d fall but not like this.”

“I was shocked,” a Big 12 coach said. “You never know what the interview process, how that went. I thought besides Cam [Ward], he was the second-[best] guy.”

Others noted that if teams weren’t drafting Sanders as a clear-cut starter based on ability that couldn’t be bypassed, they had to assess how he would fit into a quarterback room that likely had an established starter.

“[The NFL teams] probably figure, once it gets to this point, is it even worth dealing with anymore, but there’s no way around that,” a Big 12 coach said. “… If you’re not drafting the guy to be your starter, it really doesn’t matter where you pick the guy.”

A Group of 5 coach added: “If you’re Tampa and you’ve got Baker Mayfield, do you want the noise associated with [Sanders] being your backup quarterback? There’s a lot of teams that don’t need quarterbacks.”

A coach who faced Colorado in 2024 said Sanders could end up being a strong NFL starter but understood the concerns about bringing him in as a likely backup initially.

“I see him competing hard on the grass, trying to win the job, making the team better,” the coach said, “but making that room better?”

Some coaches questioned the concerns about Sanders’ demeanor.

“People have taken a lot worse,” an SEC defensive assistant said in terms of players with questions.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 5th

… CU in a few minutes … 

RJ Johnson odds on favorite to start at corner: “I’m trying to make the most of my opportunities”

From the Daily Camera … From the time he got to college two years ago, RJ Johnson has waited for his opportunity.

Now he has it, and the cornerback for the Colorado Buffaloes is hoping to make the most of it.

“It’s been tremendous just by being able to come in and just being able to compete with the few injuries (to others in the spring), being able to compete,” Johnson said last month after a Buffs’ spring practice. “Coach Prime (Deion Sanders), coach (Rob) Livingston, coach (Kevin) Mathis instilling trust in me and just trying to build my role on this season, because last year I was kind of mainly special teams.

“So this year I’m starting to be able to develop and take on a bigger role, so I’m pleased with that. I’m trying to make the most of my opportunities.”

The opportunity became even bigger when fellow cornerback Colton Hood, a projected starter, put his name into the NCAA transfer portal on the final day of the spring window, April 25. Johnson’s teammate at Eagles Landing Christian Academy in Ga., Hood has since committed to Tennessee.

In fact, three of Johnson’s Eagles Landing teammates – also running back Brandon Hood and offensive lineman Zack Owens – left the Buffs for the transfer portal that same week. If Johnson considered leaving, he didn’t make the deadline and therefore has a golden opportunity at CU.

A converted safety, Johnson made the transition to corner and played well this spring. He is arguably the odds-on favorite to start at corner, with junior DJ McKinney on the other side.

“(The move to corner) kind of transpired last year with some injuries going down in the secondary, like towards the end of the season, and Isaiah Hardge moving over to receiver,” Johnson said. “Coach Livingston and coach Mathis just brought me down and kind of talked to me and was like, ‘Would you be willing to go to corner?’

“I played corner in high school, so it’s more of an easier transition.”

… Continue reading story here …

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May 4th

… CU in a few minutes … 

New CU video: “We Ain’t Hard 2 Find Showcase / NFL Draft”

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May 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Jordan Seaton: “As far as, like, physical ability, I feel like I changed my body up a lot”

From the Daily Camera … A year ago, the Colorado football team expected a lot from Jordan Seaton.

It’s not often that a true freshman lands the job as the starting left tackle, after all.

Going into his second season with the Buffs, though, Seaton knows the Buffaloes might expect a bit more. With Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and other stars from last year’s team that went 9-4 and played in the Alamo Bowl now in the NFL, Seaton is one of the highest-profile players on the team.

Despite being a sophomore, Seaton is embracing the challenge of improving his game and becoming a leader.

“I’ve grown a lot and in every aspect, just being in college,” Seaton said. “It just happens, just going day by day and just competing, just going in practice and competing, going against guys who want to get after the quarterback. I feel like that helps me in real game day scenarios.”

The highest-rated offensive line recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2024, Seaton started all 13 games for the Buffs at left tackle. He was the only CU lineman to start every game and actually led the team in offensive snaps, with 860 (11 more than Sanders).

Seaton has worked on his body and game since the end of the season, though.

“As far as, like, physical ability, I feel like I changed my body up a lot,” he said. “And then technique wise, there’s some things I gotta clean up and they’re gonna get cleaned up.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Top CU 2026 NFL Draft prospects on on the defensive side of the ball

From the Daily Camera … Taking a very early look at the 2026 draft, the Buffs don’t have any slam-dunk prospects, such as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (who went No. 2 overall) and Sanders (or so we thought). There are, however, some intriguing prospects.

Plenty of things could change between now and the 2026 draft, including additions or subtractions to the roster. But, as it stands, here’s a look at who might be CU’s top draft hopefuls next year.

This list includes all the seniors, as well as juniors who could be draft eligible if they decide to leave. It’s also in order of their draft potential (opinion and speculation at this point, of course):

1. CB D.J. McKinney (6-foot-2, 180 pounds), Jr.: With a huge year, McKinney could decide to leave college early, and he’s certainly capable of a huge year. Last season, playing opposite of Hunter, he posted 62 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups and he should be one of the top corners in the Big 12 this year. NFLDraftBuzz.com lists McKinney No. 113 on its list of 2026 draft prospects (roughly a fourth-round pick).

2. CB Preston Hodge (6-0, 200), Sr.: He got a bonus year of college football and could use it to turn some heads at the next level. He was playing very well last year before an injury sidelined him for the last four games. Playing nickel, he had 33 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. NFLDraftBuzz ranks him at No. 220, which would put him in the seventh round.

3. DL Jehiem Oatis (6-5, 325), Sr.: The Alabama transfer needs a big year to get into the draft conversation, but he has potential. A former starter at Alabama, he has 52 tackles and three tackles for loss in his career. He’s ranked by NFLDraftBuzz at No. 264, which would be just outside the seventh and final round (257 players were drafted this year). The site, however, said Oatis “fits the mold of a rotational piece in an NFL defensive line, with the potential to develop into a starting nose tackle.”

4. DE Arden Walker (6-2, 250), Sr.: He gets better every year and if he keeps that up, he could land in the draft. Last year, he had 6.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks and is expected to fill a bigger role this year.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 2nd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Despite not having an assigned number, Shedeur’s jersey is No. 3 in sales (Travis No. 1)

From The Athletic … Sliding from being a potential first-round pick to a fifth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns at 144th overall did not hurt the sales of Shedeur Sanders jerseys, according to early returns from the NFL’s official online shop.

The quarterback ranked third on NFL Shop’s list of the top 10 best-selling jerseys for 2025 draftees, which was published on Monday. His Colorado teammate Travis Hunter, selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, led the list, and Cam Ward, picked No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, was second. Sanders was the only player selected outside of the first round who made the list.

Since Sanders wasn’t selected until Saturday and the other players on the list were picked on Thursday, his jersey has not been available for preorder as long as the others on NFL Shop, making his placement on it even more significant. As of Monday night, Sanders, Hunter, and Ward were the only three rookies among the site’s 10 “trending players” list.

While Hunter and Ward’s jersey numbers have already been decided, Sanders’ is still shown as “00” on the site. Hunter will wear No. 12 and Ward was given permission to wear No. 1 by legendary Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon.

The Browns selected six players before Sanders in the 2025 draft, but only three — first-round pick Mason Graham and second-round picks Carson Shwesinger and Quinshon Judkins — have jerseys featured on the team’s online shop. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, selected in the third round by the Browns, is not listed.

… Read full story here …

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May 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU transfer WR Sincere Brown rated as one of the top FCS transfers this spring

From CBS Sports … Top players from the Football Championship Subdivision have become massive success stories at college football’s highest level because of the ease of upward mobility in the transfer portal. The 2025 NFL Draft serves as sufficient evidence of the potential benefits that await FCS players ready to take that jump.

Top overall pick (Miami quarterback Cam Ward) and No. 2 pick (Heisman winner Travis Hunter) started their respective careers at the FCS level — granted, from wildly different beginnings. Ward was an unranked, lightly recruited prospect when he signed with Incarnate Word in 2020. Hunter was the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, and was a historic signing day story when he flipped from Florida State to Jackson State.

But their production at that level made for a quick rise to the FBS ranks. After two seasons and 71 touchdowns at Incarnate Word, Ward transferred to Washington State (following coach Eric Morris), and then became a Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami in 2024. Hunter followed Deion Sanders to Colorado where he’s a program legend.

Not every player will have those magnificent ascents, but transitioning to college football’s top tier may still be fruitful. The FCS’s best have gone on to gain more exposure and draw more interest from NFL personnel. Here’s a look ahead at the top FCS-to-FBS transfers for the 2025 season.

Sincere Brown, WR, Colorado

Previous school: Campbell | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 259 OVR, No. 45 WR

Brown had interest from other major programs like Texas A&M, Michigan and North Carolina before landing on Colorado, so he’s a significant win. It’s not hard to see why Brown was so coveted. He has prototypical size at 6-foot-5 and flashed some big-play ability at Campbell while hauling in 61 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns.

… Continue reading story here …

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April 29th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CUSPY Award winners include Travis Hunter; Jordan Seaton 

From CUBuffs.com … Several major awards were presented Monday night as the University of Colorado honored its best in athletics at the 25th annual CU Sports Performers of the Year (CUSPY) Awards.

Over 350 student-athletes, coaches, staff and C-Club board members attended the annual year-end celebration, which as always was organized by CU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 2024-25 athletic year.

This is the 40th anniversary of the first two awards the Male and Female Athlete of the Year were created to recognize the best of the best for the 1984-85 athletic year; the original recipients were both basketball players, Alex Stivrins and Lisa Van Goor.  In the previous 50 selections, 13 times the men and multiple winners, the women 16 times.  But not this year …

The Male Athlete of the Year Award was claimed for the second time by junior Travis Hunter (football) and the Female Athlete of the Year honor by junior Jordan Nytes (soccer).

Hunter became one of, if not, the most decorated players for a single season in college football history, winning CU’s second Heisman Trophy along with the Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy for defense, the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver), a second Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) and won the Associated Press and Walter Camp Player of the Year honors.  A unanimous first-team All-American (and all Big 12 Conference) selection, he was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.  Playing over 1,400 snaps between offense, defense and special teams, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and a record 15 touchdowns, with 36 tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass deflections on defense.  He was also a two-time Academic All-American.

He shared the ’23-24 honor with KJ Simpson, now playing with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.  Hunter now joins him in the professional ranks after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him second overall in last Thursday’s NFL Draft.

Football offensive tackle Jordan Seaton won the Male Freshman of the Year honor.   On the Football Writer’s Association of America’s Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year watchlist to start the year, he eventually was a semifinalist for the prestigious honor.  He earned Freshman All-America honors from On3, 247 Sports and Pro Football Focus, and the Big 12 coaches named him as the honorable mention pick for both the Offensive Lineman of the Year and the Freshman of the Year, College Football News also naming him as the latter.

The Male Newcomer of the Year was senior receiver LaJohntay Wester, who started 12 of 13 games last fall.  The Florida Atlantic transfer caught 74 passes for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns, none bigger than a 43-yard reception as time ran out that forced overtime in an eventual 38-31 win over Baylor.  The receptions were the seventh-most in CU history, along with the 931 yards the 12th-most and 10 TD’s the fourth-most.  He teamed with Hunter to become the first CU duo to both have 10 or more TD receptions in the same season, and had three games with multiple scores.

… Read full story here …

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April 28th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur to Cleveland media: “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity throughout everything” 

From the Daily Camera … The epic and unprecedented slide of Shedeur Sanders was the top story of the NFL Draft this past weekend.

As he moves forward, however, the former Colorado quarterback is focusing more on his job as a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns and not so much on how he fell so far down the draft board.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity throughout everything,” Sanders said Saturday in a conference call with Browns media. “I don’t ever focus on the negative or even think about the negative, because the positive happened so fast.

“For me, it was just playing quarterback. That’s what it’s about.”

Throughout coverage of the draft, the focus was on the negative, as Sanders went from being projected as a top-five pick on Thursday night to slipping all the way to pick No. 144 in the fifth round on Saturday.

Despite being a second-team All-American, setting more than 100 records at CU and elevating the Buffaloes from 1-11 before he got there to 9-4 last year, Sanders was a polarizing prospect.

There were reports that some of his interviews with teams went poorly. Another report said he was unprepared for a workout with the New York Giants. Others called him “brash” and “entitled” as the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the CU head coach who is well-known as being brash himself.

Some speculated that teams didn’t want to deal with the “circus” that might come with Sanders, his father and cameras constantly around him.

When asked about all the pre-draft talk and anonymous sources, however, Sanders focused on the Browns.

“I think what happened was I had a great interview and great process with the Browns, and that’s why they was able to pick me,” he said. “Anything outside the organization is really a non-factor to me now, because this is my focus, and this is where my mind is, doing everything I can to make the team better.”

… Continue reading story here …

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April 26th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur saga hits Day Three: “From unexpected to inexplicable”

From ESPN … The Shedeur Sanders saga has gone from unexpected to inexplicable.

The former Colorado quarterback’s fall out of the NFL draft’s first round Thursday night was surprising.

But then came Friday night’s plummet.

Widely projected as one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, Sanders is stunningly still available entering the fourth round Saturday.

After watching the New York Giants trade up to No. 25 on Thursday night to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Sanders on Friday night had to stomach the New Orleans Saints selecting Louisville’s Tyler Shough, the Seattle Seahawks selecting Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and the Cleveland Browns selecting Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.

Also, similar to Thursday night, Friday night offered multiple opportunities for teams needing quarterbacks to select Sanders, but each opportunity ended without him hearing his name.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, who has known Sanders since he was in junior high school, said teams who passed over the quarterback should “beware,” because he would use the snub as motivation in a successful NFL career.

“He’s gonna, like there’ll be this chip on his shoulder, and beware because this guy is going to play in this league,” Payton said Friday.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has a relationship with the Sanders family, praised Shedeur’s character.

“I watched two or three ballgames with [Sanders],” Jones said. “So with my knowledge, I know where the character is there, and boy, it is great character. It is an unbelievable competitive winning character for sports.”

Asked Friday night to add context to Sanders’ fall, one executive from a team in the quarterback market said there was “no smoking gun, but it’s not just football either.” The executive indicated that Sanders’ celebrity and the attention he would bring would complicate his selection because he is not seen as a star.

… Continue reading story here …

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April 25th

… CU in a few minutes …

Shedeur on first round snub: “All this is of course is adding fuel to the fire”

From the Daily Camera … Widely considered as one of the two best quarterbacks in the draft, along with Miami’s Cam Ward (who was selected No. 1 overall by Tennessee), Sanders was projected as a top-five pick for months.

However, in the days leading up to the draft, many pundits reported that Sanders’ stock had dropped and it did, indeed.

“I’m built for whatever today may bring,” Sanders posted on X before the draft began Thursday.

Sanders, however, may not have expected to have to wait until Friday. ESPN projected there was a 97% chance he would be selected in the first round.

In a video posted on social media by his brother, Deion Sanders Jr., after the first round, Shedeur told family and friends gathered together for a draft party: “We all didn’t expect this, of course, but I feel like with God, anything is possible, everything is possible. I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is of course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn’t have happened, but we understand we’re onto bigger and better things. Tomorrow is the day. We’re gonna be happy regardless.”

Sanders was, without question, the most scrutinized and polarizing player in the draft, as the talented and highly confident son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who has coached him for years, including as CU’s head coach the past two years.

In addition to national pundits critiquing his play on the field, Sanders’ character was often questioned, mostly by anonymous sources. Most recently, quotes from anonymous NFL personnel criticizing Sanders’ character during a meeting with a team surfaced this week.

“Shedeur represents everything that I dislike about the NFL draft and it is only one thing, and it’s narratives,” former CU quarterback and current analyst Joel Klatt said on the NFL Network. “It’s narratives built up that are lazy and, quite frankly, trash. When you come out as an anonymous source about some meeting that you had and you don’t think that some kid measured up to what you wanted him to be when he walked in your room, I think that that’s trash.

“Shedeur Sanders is going to be a good quarterback in the National Football League, and I think that he’s going to go and make some head coach and some fan base very happy because he’s already done that in his career in what I think is a very difficult spotlight for his dad at the University of Colorado and a program that was nothing before he got there for two decades.”

… Read full story here …

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April 24th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Watch: AFLAC commercial to be aired during first round of the Draft tonight

With the football world turning its attention to the Sanders family ahead of today’s NFL Draft, University of Colorado Head Football Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is once again teaming up with Aflac in a new ad spotlighting the importance of family.

Ahead of the draft, Aflac has released a new ad, featuring behind-the-scenes moments with the Sanders family, set to music by Deion Sanders Jr. The spot includes a voiceover by Coach Prime reflecting on the vital role family plays in everything he does and how that family now includes his players and coaches at Colorado, and the Aflac family. The spot reinforces how Aflac, a leader in supplemental insurance, helps families stay financially prepared for medical costs. It will air on ESPN during the network’s first round coverage of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24.

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April 23rd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Travis Hunter’s father given permission to attend NFL Draft at Green Bay

From The Athletic … Travis Hunter’s father, Travis Sr., has been given permission to attend the 2025 NFL Draft, according to court documents.

Hunter’s father is serving probation related to gun and drug charges stemming from his arrest during a traffic stop in November 2023. He could not attend the Heisman Trophy presentation in December, where his son, a former Colorado two-way star, won the award.

He will, however, be able to attend the draft, which will be held in Green Bay, Wis., from April 24-26, where Hunter Jr. is projected to be selected early.

Hunter Jr. heads into the draft as The Athletic’s top-ranked prospect following a stellar career that began at Jackson State, where coach Deion Sanders recruited him. He followed Sanders to Colorado and helped the program win nine games in 2024 while winning several national awards for his play on both offense and defense.

He won the Walter Camp Award, the Paul Hornung Award, the Bednarik Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award, along with the Heisman Trophy.

Colorado has already retired Hunter’s No. 12 after he posted 153 receptions for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns offensively, as well as 67 tackles, seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups and a forced fumble in his two seasons in Boulder.

Hunter Jr. acknowledged his father during his acceptance speech.

“Dad, I love you,” Hunter Jr. said. “All the stuff you went through … I did it for you, man. All the times that you didn’t get to see me, or the time you came to see my games. From seeing probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, that means so much to me. I know you wanted to be here, and you can’t. But trust me, I got you.”

Hunter’s father will be able to attend the draft Thursday night before returning to his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to court records.

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May 3rd

… CU in a few minutes … 

Jordan Seaton: “As far as, like, physical ability, I feel like I changed my body up a lot”

From the Daily Camera … A year ago, the Colorado football team expected a lot from Jordan Seaton.

It’s not often that a true freshman lands the job as the starting left tackle, after all.

Going into his second season with the Buffs, though, Seaton knows the Buffaloes might expect a bit more. With Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders and other stars from last year’s team that went 9-4 and played in the Alamo Bowl now in the NFL, Seaton is one of the highest-profile players on the team.

Despite being a sophomore, Seaton is embracing the challenge of improving his game and becoming a leader.

“I’ve grown a lot and in every aspect, just being in college,” Seaton said. “It just happens, just going day by day and just competing, just going in practice and competing, going against guys who want to get after the quarterback. I feel like that helps me in real game day scenarios.”

The highest-rated offensive line recruit in the country coming out of high school in 2024, Seaton started all 13 games for the Buffs at left tackle. He was the only CU lineman to start every game and actually led the team in offensive snaps, with 860 (11 more than Sanders).

Seaton has worked on his body and game since the end of the season, though.

“As far as, like, physical ability, I feel like I changed my body up a lot,” he said. “And then technique wise, there’s some things I gotta clean up and they’re gonna get cleaned up.”

… Continue reading story here …

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Top CU 2026 NFL Draft prospects on on the defensive side of the ball

From the Daily Camera … Taking a very early look at the 2026 draft, the Buffs don’t have any slam-dunk prospects, such as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter (who went No. 2 overall) and Sanders (or so we thought). There are, however, some intriguing prospects.

Plenty of things could change between now and the 2026 draft, including additions or subtractions to the roster. But, as it stands, here’s a look at who might be CU’s top draft hopefuls next year.

This list includes all the seniors, as well as juniors who could be draft eligible if they decide to leave. It’s also in order of their draft potential (opinion and speculation at this point, of course):

1. CB D.J. McKinney (6-foot-2, 180 pounds), Jr.: With a huge year, McKinney could decide to leave college early, and he’s certainly capable of a huge year. Last season, playing opposite of Hunter, he posted 62 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups and he should be one of the top corners in the Big 12 this year. NFLDraftBuzz.com lists McKinney No. 113 on its list of 2026 draft prospects (roughly a fourth-round pick).

2. CB Preston Hodge (6-0, 200), Sr.: He got a bonus year of college football and could use it to turn some heads at the next level. He was playing very well last year before an injury sidelined him for the last four games. Playing nickel, he had 33 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. NFLDraftBuzz ranks him at No. 220, which would put him in the seventh round.

3. DL Jehiem Oatis (6-5, 325), Sr.: The Alabama transfer needs a big year to get into the draft conversation, but he has potential. A former starter at Alabama, he has 52 tackles and three tackles for loss in his career. He’s ranked by NFLDraftBuzz at No. 264, which would be just outside the seventh and final round (257 players were drafted this year). The site, however, said Oatis “fits the mold of a rotational piece in an NFL defensive line, with the potential to develop into a starting nose tackle.”

4. DE Arden Walker (6-2, 250), Sr.: He gets better every year and if he keeps that up, he could land in the draft. Last year, he had 6.5 TFLs and 4.5 sacks and is expected to fill a bigger role this year.

… Continue reading story here …

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May 2nd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Despite not having an assigned number, Shedeur’s jersey is No. 3 in sales (Travis No. 1)

From The Athletic … Sliding from being a potential first-round pick to a fifth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns at 144th overall did not hurt the sales of Shedeur Sanders jerseys, according to early returns from the NFL’s official online shop.

The quarterback ranked third on NFL Shop’s list of the top 10 best-selling jerseys for 2025 draftees, which was published on Monday. His Colorado teammate Travis Hunter, selected No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars, led the list, and Cam Ward, picked No. 1 overall by the Tennessee Titans, was second. Sanders was the only player selected outside of the first round who made the list.

Since Sanders wasn’t selected until Saturday and the other players on the list were picked on Thursday, his jersey has not been available for preorder as long as the others on NFL Shop, making his placement on it even more significant. As of Monday night, Sanders, Hunter, and Ward were the only three rookies among the site’s 10 “trending players” list.

While Hunter and Ward’s jersey numbers have already been decided, Sanders’ is still shown as “00” on the site. Hunter will wear No. 12 and Ward was given permission to wear No. 1 by legendary Houston Oilers quarterback Warren Moon.

The Browns selected six players before Sanders in the 2025 draft, but only three — first-round pick Mason Graham and second-round picks Carson Shwesinger and Quinshon Judkins — have jerseys featured on the team’s online shop. Quarterback Dillon Gabriel, selected in the third round by the Browns, is not listed.

… Read full story here …

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May 1st

… CU in a few minutes … 

CU transfer WR Sincere Brown rated as one of the top FCS transfers this spring

From CBS Sports … Top players from the Football Championship Subdivision have become massive success stories at college football’s highest level because of the ease of upward mobility in the transfer portal. The 2025 NFL Draft serves as sufficient evidence of the potential benefits that await FCS players ready to take that jump.

Top overall pick (Miami quarterback Cam Ward) and No. 2 pick (Heisman winner Travis Hunter) started their respective careers at the FCS level — granted, from wildly different beginnings. Ward was an unranked, lightly recruited prospect when he signed with Incarnate Word in 2020. Hunter was the No. 1 overall prospect in the Class of 2022, and was a historic signing day story when he flipped from Florida State to Jackson State.

But their production at that level made for a quick rise to the FBS ranks. After two seasons and 71 touchdowns at Incarnate Word, Ward transferred to Washington State (following coach Eric Morris), and then became a Heisman Trophy finalist at Miami in 2024. Hunter followed Deion Sanders to Colorado where he’s a program legend.

Not every player will have those magnificent ascents, but transitioning to college football’s top tier may still be fruitful. The FCS’s best have gone on to gain more exposure and draw more interest from NFL personnel. Here’s a look ahead at the top FCS-to-FBS transfers for the 2025 season.

Sincere Brown, WR, Colorado

Previous school: Campbell | 247Sports Transfer Ranking: No. 259 OVR, No. 45 WR

Brown had interest from other major programs like Texas A&M, Michigan and North Carolina before landing on Colorado, so he’s a significant win. It’s not hard to see why Brown was so coveted. He has prototypical size at 6-foot-5 and flashed some big-play ability at Campbell while hauling in 61 catches for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns.

… Continue reading story here …

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April 29th

… CU in a few minutes … 

CUSPY Award winners include Travis Hunter; Jordan Seaton 

From CUBuffs.com … Several major awards were presented Monday night as the University of Colorado honored its best in athletics at the 25th annual CU Sports Performers of the Year (CUSPY) Awards.

Over 350 student-athletes, coaches, staff and C-Club board members attended the annual year-end celebration, which as always was organized by CU’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the 2024-25 athletic year.

This is the 40th anniversary of the first two awards the Male and Female Athlete of the Year were created to recognize the best of the best for the 1984-85 athletic year; the original recipients were both basketball players, Alex Stivrins and Lisa Van Goor.  In the previous 50 selections, 13 times the men and multiple winners, the women 16 times.  But not this year …

The Male Athlete of the Year Award was claimed for the second time by junior Travis Hunter (football) and the Female Athlete of the Year honor by junior Jordan Nytes (soccer).

Hunter became one of, if not, the most decorated players for a single season in college football history, winning CU’s second Heisman Trophy along with the Chuck Bednarik Award and Lott IMPACT Trophy for defense, the Biletnikoff Award (top receiver), a second Paul Hornung Award (most versatile player) and won the Associated Press and Walter Camp Player of the Year honors.  A unanimous first-team All-American (and all Big 12 Conference) selection, he was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.  Playing over 1,400 snaps between offense, defense and special teams, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and a record 15 touchdowns, with 36 tackles, four interceptions and 11 pass deflections on defense.  He was also a two-time Academic All-American.

He shared the ’23-24 honor with KJ Simpson, now playing with the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.  Hunter now joins him in the professional ranks after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him second overall in last Thursday’s NFL Draft.

Football offensive tackle Jordan Seaton won the Male Freshman of the Year honor.   On the Football Writer’s Association of America’s Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year watchlist to start the year, he eventually was a semifinalist for the prestigious honor.  He earned Freshman All-America honors from On3, 247 Sports and Pro Football Focus, and the Big 12 coaches named him as the honorable mention pick for both the Offensive Lineman of the Year and the Freshman of the Year, College Football News also naming him as the latter.

The Male Newcomer of the Year was senior receiver LaJohntay Wester, who started 12 of 13 games last fall.  The Florida Atlantic transfer caught 74 passes for 931 yards and 10 touchdowns, none bigger than a 43-yard reception as time ran out that forced overtime in an eventual 38-31 win over Baylor.  The receptions were the seventh-most in CU history, along with the 931 yards the 12th-most and 10 TD’s the fourth-most.  He teamed with Hunter to become the first CU duo to both have 10 or more TD receptions in the same season, and had three games with multiple scores.

… Read full story here …

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April 28th

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur to Cleveland media: “I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity throughout everything” 

From the Daily Camera … The epic and unprecedented slide of Shedeur Sanders was the top story of the NFL Draft this past weekend.

As he moves forward, however, the former Colorado quarterback is focusing more on his job as a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns and not so much on how he fell so far down the draft board.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity throughout everything,” Sanders said Saturday in a conference call with Browns media. “I don’t ever focus on the negative or even think about the negative, because the positive happened so fast.

“For me, it was just playing quarterback. That’s what it’s about.”

Throughout coverage of the draft, the focus was on the negative, as Sanders went from being projected as a top-five pick on Thursday night to slipping all the way to pick No. 144 in the fifth round on Saturday.

Despite being a second-team All-American, setting more than 100 records at CU and elevating the Buffaloes from 1-11 before he got there to 9-4 last year, Sanders was a polarizing prospect.

There were reports that some of his interviews with teams went poorly. Another report said he was unprepared for a workout with the New York Giants. Others called him “brash” and “entitled” as the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, the CU head coach who is well-known as being brash himself.

Some speculated that teams didn’t want to deal with the “circus” that might come with Sanders, his father and cameras constantly around him.

When asked about all the pre-draft talk and anonymous sources, however, Sanders focused on the Browns.

“I think what happened was I had a great interview and great process with the Browns, and that’s why they was able to pick me,” he said. “Anything outside the organization is really a non-factor to me now, because this is my focus, and this is where my mind is, doing everything I can to make the team better.”

… Continue reading story here …

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April 26th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Shedeur saga hits Day Three: “From unexpected to inexplicable”

From ESPN … The Shedeur Sanders saga has gone from unexpected to inexplicable.

The former Colorado quarterback’s fall out of the NFL draft’s first round Thursday night was surprising.

But then came Friday night’s plummet.

Widely projected as one of the top quarterback prospects in this year’s draft, Sanders is stunningly still available entering the fourth round Saturday.

After watching the New York Giants trade up to No. 25 on Thursday night to select Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart, Sanders on Friday night had to stomach the New Orleans Saints selecting Louisville’s Tyler Shough, the Seattle Seahawks selecting Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and the Cleveland Browns selecting Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel.

Also, similar to Thursday night, Friday night offered multiple opportunities for teams needing quarterbacks to select Sanders, but each opportunity ended without him hearing his name.

Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, who has known Sanders since he was in junior high school, said teams who passed over the quarterback should “beware,” because he would use the snub as motivation in a successful NFL career.

“He’s gonna, like there’ll be this chip on his shoulder, and beware because this guy is going to play in this league,” Payton said Friday.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, who has a relationship with the Sanders family, praised Shedeur’s character.

“I watched two or three ballgames with [Sanders],” Jones said. “So with my knowledge, I know where the character is there, and boy, it is great character. It is an unbelievable competitive winning character for sports.”

Asked Friday night to add context to Sanders’ fall, one executive from a team in the quarterback market said there was “no smoking gun, but it’s not just football either.” The executive indicated that Sanders’ celebrity and the attention he would bring would complicate his selection because he is not seen as a star.

… Continue reading story here …

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April 25th

… CU in a few minutes …

Shedeur on first round snub: “All this is of course is adding fuel to the fire”

From the Daily Camera … Widely considered as one of the two best quarterbacks in the draft, along with Miami’s Cam Ward (who was selected No. 1 overall by Tennessee), Sanders was projected as a top-five pick for months.

However, in the days leading up to the draft, many pundits reported that Sanders’ stock had dropped and it did, indeed.

“I’m built for whatever today may bring,” Sanders posted on X before the draft began Thursday.

Sanders, however, may not have expected to have to wait until Friday. ESPN projected there was a 97% chance he would be selected in the first round.

In a video posted on social media by his brother, Deion Sanders Jr., after the first round, Shedeur told family and friends gathered together for a draft party: “We all didn’t expect this, of course, but I feel like with God, anything is possible, everything is possible. I don’t feel like this happened for no reason. All this is of course fuel to the fire. Under no circumstance, we all know this shouldn’t have happened, but we understand we’re onto bigger and better things. Tomorrow is the day. We’re gonna be happy regardless.”

Sanders was, without question, the most scrutinized and polarizing player in the draft, as the talented and highly confident son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who has coached him for years, including as CU’s head coach the past two years.

In addition to national pundits critiquing his play on the field, Sanders’ character was often questioned, mostly by anonymous sources. Most recently, quotes from anonymous NFL personnel criticizing Sanders’ character during a meeting with a team surfaced this week.

“Shedeur represents everything that I dislike about the NFL draft and it is only one thing, and it’s narratives,” former CU quarterback and current analyst Joel Klatt said on the NFL Network. “It’s narratives built up that are lazy and, quite frankly, trash. When you come out as an anonymous source about some meeting that you had and you don’t think that some kid measured up to what you wanted him to be when he walked in your room, I think that that’s trash.

“Shedeur Sanders is going to be a good quarterback in the National Football League, and I think that he’s going to go and make some head coach and some fan base very happy because he’s already done that in his career in what I think is a very difficult spotlight for his dad at the University of Colorado and a program that was nothing before he got there for two decades.”

… Read full story here …

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April 24th 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Watch: AFLAC commercial to be aired during first round of the Draft tonight

With the football world turning its attention to the Sanders family ahead of today’s NFL Draft, University of Colorado Head Football Coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders is once again teaming up with Aflac in a new ad spotlighting the importance of family.

Ahead of the draft, Aflac has released a new ad, featuring behind-the-scenes moments with the Sanders family, set to music by Deion Sanders Jr. The spot includes a voiceover by Coach Prime reflecting on the vital role family plays in everything he does and how that family now includes his players and coaches at Colorado, and the Aflac family. The spot reinforces how Aflac, a leader in supplemental insurance, helps families stay financially prepared for medical costs. It will air on ESPN during the network’s first round coverage of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 24.

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April 23rd 

… CU in a few minutes … 

Travis Hunter’s father given permission to attend NFL Draft at Green Bay

From The Athletic … Travis Hunter’s father, Travis Sr., has been given permission to attend the 2025 NFL Draft, according to court documents.

Hunter’s father is serving probation related to gun and drug charges stemming from his arrest during a traffic stop in November 2023. He could not attend the Heisman Trophy presentation in December, where his son, a former Colorado two-way star, won the award.

He will, however, be able to attend the draft, which will be held in Green Bay, Wis., from April 24-26, where Hunter Jr. is projected to be selected early.

Hunter Jr. heads into the draft as The Athletic’s top-ranked prospect following a stellar career that began at Jackson State, where coach Deion Sanders recruited him. He followed Sanders to Colorado and helped the program win nine games in 2024 while winning several national awards for his play on both offense and defense.

He won the Walter Camp Award, the Paul Hornung Award, the Bednarik Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award, along with the Heisman Trophy.

Colorado has already retired Hunter’s No. 12 after he posted 153 receptions for 1,979 yards and 20 touchdowns offensively, as well as 67 tackles, seven interceptions, 16 pass breakups and a forced fumble in his two seasons in Boulder.

Hunter Jr. acknowledged his father during his acceptance speech.

“Dad, I love you,” Hunter Jr. said. “All the stuff you went through … I did it for you, man. All the times that you didn’t get to see me, or the time you came to see my games. From seeing probably two games in high school to seeing me on TV every weekend and coming to see me, that means so much to me. I know you wanted to be here, and you can’t. But trust me, I got you.”

Hunter’s father will be able to attend the draft Thursday night before returning to his home in West Palm Beach, Fla., according to court records.

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This post, about the Spring/Summer game, from the 2025 Season, is filed under Article.
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