As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, one of the burning questions on most fans’ minds is: Who will be the No. 1 pick among Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Cam Ward, and Abdul Carter? Most projections and analysts believe Ward, the Miami quarterback, will be the one the Tennessee Titans — holders of the numero uno spot — will select. However, veteran college football coach Urban Meyer begs to differ.
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Meyer appeared on the latest episode of ‘Run It Back’ on FanDuel TV, where he opened up about the two most popular players in this draft — Hunter and Sanders. Starting with the latter, he bluntly noted that the Buffs QB hasn’t made a lot of pocket plays due to the sorry state of Colorado’s O-line, which was, in a way, the coach’s explanation for why Sanders shouldn’t go No. 1.
Add to this, the fact that Boulder hasn’t faced the crème de la crème of CFB, and Meyer was honest enough to admit that Deion Sanders’ son is a tricky customer as a No. 1 pick. Still, the former head coach wholeheartedly believes in the Shedeur’s pedigree.
“If you really study Shedeur Sanders, he was on the move the whole time. His offensive line in his last two years was not good. His second year, they were awful—and they got a little bit better. So there are a lot of question marks around thhe ‘pocket passer’ because he hasn’t done that a lot,” Meyer said.
“And the second thing—and I’m kind of fighting for him because I do like this kid, we covered him a bunch—is that he really hasn’t faced the best of the best,” he continued.
Despite the challenges, Shedeur posted impressive numbers in 2024, throwing for 4,134 yards with 37 touchdowns and a 74% completion rate. However, concerns remain about his experience against top-tier defenses and his ability to make tight-window throws — a crucial skill in the NFL.
Coming to Travis Hunter, the seasoned college football coach confidently argued that the Heisman winner is a no-brainer as the first pick. Why? Because Meyer hasn’t seen anyone play both offense and defense with Hunter’s ease and finesse in his nearly 40-year coaching career.
“It would be hard for me to not take Travis Hunter with that first pick,” Meyer stated. “I love that guy. I think he’s a once-in-a-generation, once-in-a-lifetime player. He can do things that I’ve not seen other people do. His stamina, the quality of kid… On the 160th play of the game, he’s blocking guys 25-30 yards downfield. I know it’s college, I get that, but in my lifetime, I’ve not seen a guy do that.”
What’s so impressive about Hunter that even head coaches like Urban Meyer can’t stop fawning over him? Well, in simple words, Hunter makes a massive impact with his unique abilities.
For instance, as a wide receiver, he caught 96 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns. On defense, he recorded four interceptions, 11 passes defended, and 36 tackles, earning him the Heisman and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.
All said and done, both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are absolutely unreal talents with a great tape backing their hype. While Meyer’s insights suggest that Hunter’s unique abilities and versatility give him the edge as the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, Sanders for sure won’t be far behind!
