The controversy around Travis Hunter’s Heisman ceremony continues to rage. Deion Sanders and Shedeur Sanders were part of Hunter’s entourage, while Travis also flew all his Colorado teammates to New York for the event. However, safety Shilo Sanders was absent, sparking polarizing reactions on social media, including speculations of a rift.
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Shedeur has now cleared the air on behalf of his brother.
“Shilo was at home. He was at home, here, training and working out, getting ready for the game,” Shedeur said 2Legendary podcast. “He knows this is a big game coming up for (us), the bowl game, so he just wanted to stay here and stay focused.”
#21 is Locked In. Shedeur on where Shilo was when everyone was in NY for the Heisman
“Shilo was at home. He was training, working out, getting ready for the big game. He wanted to stay here and stay focused”
️ @ShedeurSanders pic.twitter.com/dPG7PNeJwW
— JaKi (@JaKiTruth) December 18, 2024
Shilo going that extra mile to prepare for the bowl game is understandable. He hasn’t had the best season for Colorado, and playing well in his last game could boost his draft value. His father and coach Deion has already said he would be the hardest hitter in this upcoming draft. And the numbers Shilo put up in his senior season can be glossed over.
Shilo’s defensive statistics
Shilo ended the regular season with 59 total tackles, which isn’t bad by any means. Of course, it is down from his 70 last year.
However, he isn’t even the best safety among those from the Buffaloes roster who have declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. Safety counterpart, Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig, led Colorado in tackles and was one of two players to record a defensive touchdown on the team.
Shilo did have some highlights in his senior year, though. Most notably, he had a strip-sack against Utah in a 49-24 pounding. If there’s one thing Shilo is good at, it’s laying the boom.
Shilo Sanders strip sack
He’s back #SkoBuffs pic.twitter.com/BiQLhUcAUN
— We Coming (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) November 16, 2024
Shilo also had a scoop and score against Texas Tech, the week before Utah. He has intangibles and seems to understand the game. it’s just that he has to put it all together and compete at a higher level, which draft analysts are skeptical of.
Shilo and his draft stock plummeted last year after it was revealed he needed arm surgery. And injuries could continue to follow him around because of the extreme physicality with which he plays.
He’s also dealt with an ACL tear while at Jackson State to go along with his recurring finger issues. He may have great value for a team which can draft him. But he also comes with an injury risk and a huge question mark.
So, staying home and working on things is exactly what he needed. That will also portray some heart to the draft skeptics.
