The Colorado Buffaloes had a major turnaround this year, going from 4-8 to 9-3. And that turnaround was driven by two superstar players – WR/CB Travis Hunter and QB Shedeur Sanders. While Hunter’s unique skill set and ability to play on both sides of the ball have made him a national darling and favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, Sanders has been nothing but supportive.
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He has been a model teammate at every turn. Despite putting up an impressive season in his own right, Sanders has been steadfast in his support of Hunter’s chase for the Heisman this season. Sanders doubled down on that sentiment on Friday when asked if he thinks he’s one of college football’s best players.
“(Laughs) Come on, what do you think? It’s me and Trav, 1 and 2. That’s what it is, me and Trav 1 and 2. And whatever order you wanna put it in but, of course.”
Newsstitched Media's reporter Phil Jones had the chance to chat with Shedeur Sanders and asked if he felt like he was the best player in college football. Check out his response #media #NewsstitchedMedia #sportsdirector #fagofranklin #ColoradoBuffaloes pic.twitter.com/pDDCHcsnzg
— Newsstitched Media (@FagoF) December 7, 2024
As has become common this season, Sanders wouldn’t talk about his own star status without including Hunter in the conversation as well.
Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have created a tight bond
The pair, who are one of the most lethal QB-WR duos in the country, have clearly grown close. Both joined Jackson State when Sanders’ father took that head coaching job. Both then transferred to Colorado together in 2023 when Deion moved on to the Buffaloes. After three seasons together, Shedeur says that Hunter is like “family” to him now.
“We family though, me and Trav, we’ve seen everything to when everybody was against us. From him making the decision to come to Jackson State, then him finally being able to be in the Heisman talk, and they still don’t want to give it to him. It makes me sad as a person, knowing how much of a genuine person he is.”
He further shared his frustration over external perceptions and how their achievements sometimes go unrecognized.
“They try to take that from him because of external things like who his coach is, which is my dad, and who I am overall. They try to not credit us, but we put a lot of good numbers, we do what we’re supposed to do so you ain’t got no choice.”
He’s not wrong about the numbers. In 2024, Shedeur Sanders became a bonafide superstar. Compared to 2023, he had more completions (337), more passing yards (3,925), a better completion percentage (73.6), more yards per attempt (8.6), more TD passes (35), and a higher passer rating (117.3).
Not to mention that he led Colorado to a 9-3 record, their best since 2016, as well as their first Bowl game berth since 2020. Sanders was also good enough to earn the Big 12 Conference’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
While it was a great accomplishment for the QB, it was also used as fodder for the anti-Hunter Heisman brigade, who leaned on the fact that the hybrid star wasn’t the best offensive player on his own team. Shedeur Sanders surely doesn’t agree with that agenda, but he wasn’t going to play poorly to increase Hunter’s profile.
In any event, it seems both men are going to capture something special over the next few months. Hunter was a massive -2,500 odds favorite to win the Heisman Trophy prior to Conference Championship weekend. Sanders, meanwhile, boasts the shortest odds (+125) to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
