What is football? A series of plays in which a team scores or gives the ball to the other team. Who makes those plays? Players on the team make those players. The University of Colorado has two of those most exciting players, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Despite Shedeur throwing dimes and Hunter playing almost every down of football last season, there is a sizable amount of hate for Colorado. This is a good time to mention that Colorado’s head coach is Deion Sanders. One of the five greatest football players of all time. Not only is Deion one of the flashiest players of all time, but he isn’t afraid to speak his mind.
This has led many college football fans to engage in hate-watching Colorado football. They fear what Colorado will be when Deion inevitably leaves, despite them not giving a single you-know-what about them before Deion got there.
What Deion has created at Colorado is nothing short of a miracle on the field. The individuals tasked with writing the story at Colorado this season are nothing short of superheroes.
Colorado Quarterback Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders was the most sacked quarterback in college football last season. He’s also one of the more accurate quarterbacks. Despite the chaos of rushers around him, his poise in the pocket is his superpower. Being pressured often usually leads to bad decisions and interceptions. Shedeur threw three picks last year.
Last year was Shedeur’s first year at the Division One level. His previous two years were at Jackson State, which is at the FCS level. The talent gap between these two divisions isn’t as big as college football and the NFL, but there is still a gap. His 27 touchdowns and three interceptions are impressive, especially when compared to fellow hyped quarterback Cam Ward’s first season at the FBS level.
Shedeur is garnering first-round buzz for the 2025 NFL draft and it’s well deserved. His pre-draft process will be unique, to say the least. His father Deion had one of the best “quotes of the century,” in his draft, so Shedeur will likely garner some hate for whatever he does and says.
Colorado Athlete Travis Hunter
We will never see someone like Travis Hunter again. The closest thing to what he does in college football is Myles Jack‘s couple-game run at running back for UCLA back in 2013. Jack couldn’t keep it up due to the workload being too much. Hunter played 123 snaps in a win over Colorado State on Saturday. He finished with two touchdown catches and one interception.
Travis Hunter is a modern Gen-Z athlete, he works four days a week and streams video games on his off days.
No other college football team would’ve allowed him to play both ways. I know this because there hasn’t been a player to play both ways in years. Hunter’s chemistry with his best friend and quarterback Shedeur is evident every time you turn a Colorado game on.
The closest thing to what Travis Hunter is doing is baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. The intelligence, work ethic, and freakish athletic ability to play on both sides of the ball are underrated. Hunter has to know both defensive and offensive plays. It’s a credit to Colorado coaches for having him ready each week.
Hunter will likely be a top-five pick in next year’s draft. There is no guarantee that the NFL team that drafts him will allow him to play both ways. Fans should enjoy him while he is at this level of performance.
Conclusion
College football fans don’t like Colorado and everything that comes with it because the way they are building Colorado isn’t the natural way. Most programs in college football are built with time and patience. Deion Sanders took over a 1-11 football team and brought his son, a legit NFL prospect, and Travis Hunter, a potential number one overall pick. Deion didn’t have time to waste at Colorado, he had to build the best team around Shedeur and Hunter.
The best way to get good quick in college football is through the transfer portal. Many fans didn’t believe this was a sustainable way to build a program in the long run, but Coach Prime never committed to Colorado for eight years, his deal is only five.
Do college football fans not like the way Deion Sanders is using Colorado as a platform to get his son drafted? Yes. Is it undeniable that we will never see a team constructed like this Colorado team with all the fun top-heavy talent being able to express themselves on and off the field? Yes, so just enjoy the ride.
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Featured Image: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
