Before Deion Sanders took over as head coach at Colorado, the university’s football program had become an afterthought on the national stage. However, in just two years, Coach Prime turned the Buffaloes around, making them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2016. Along the way, he developed numerous NFL-bound players, including Heisman winner Travis Hunter.
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But the impact didn’t stop there — the 2025 NFL Draft proved to be historic for the Colorado program. Here are some eye-opening numbers that truly highlight the Prime effect.
From 2015 to 2022, Colorado produced just 10 NFL Draft picks, with offensive tackle William Sherman being the most recent, selected by the New England Patriots in 2021. Then, Hunter ended the slump with his blockbuster move to the Jacksonville Jaguars as the second overall pick.
Along with Hunter, the 2025 NFL Draft saw a staggering eight former Colorado players join the big league, either via draft selections or undrafted free agent signings. Here’s the breakdown:
- Travis Hunter (WR/CB): Drafted No. 2 overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Shedeur Sanders (QB): Drafted No. 144 overall by the Cleveland Browns
- LaJohntay Wester (WR): Drafted No. 203 overall by the Baltimore Ravens
- Jimmy Horn Jr. (WR): Drafted No. 208 overall by the Carolina Panthers
And undrafted free agents:
- Will Sheppard (WR): Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- BJ Green (DE): Signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars
- Shilo Sanders (S): Signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig (S): Signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars
The cherry on top? Colorado became the football program this year with the most wide receivers drafted. Between Wester, Horn Jr., Sheppard, and Hunter, CU produced four wideouts, including a two-way player, all landing NFL contracts — a testament to the talent pipeline Deion has quickly rebuilt.
Unsurprisingly, Boulder fans were thrilled to see their beloved team climb back up the ladder of relevancy. For them, this was made possible by having the best coach in college football, Deion Sanders.
“Best Coach In College. Period,” declared one Buffs fan on “X”. “Prime getting them into the league [GOAT emoji],” wrote another.
Best coach in college. Period.
— Damon Zumbroegel (@DamonZumbroegel) April 27, 2025
For most Buffs fans, though, the fact that their team had the most wide receivers drafted made Shedeur Sanders’ slip from a surefire first-rounder to falling all the way to 144 even more baffling. Their thought was simple: if the receivers did so well, shouldn’t the quarterback also get credit for making the throws?
“Geez. I wonder who was throwing the ball to them?” sarcastically noted a fan. “And the guy who was throwing them the ball got did dirty. SMH,” one frustrated Buffs fan commented.
Regardless of Shedeur’s slide in the Draft, this is truly a moment to celebrate for Deion Sanders & Co. Additionally, Buffs’ success at the Draft will help calm many anxious fans who were questioning Coach Prime’s reliance on the transfer portal and his signing of flamboyant, highly-rated talents like Quentin Gibson and Will Lewis.
It looks like Coach Prime has everything under control in Boulder, as always!
