"His absence cannot be replaced" - Deion Sanders gets 100% real on losing Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders to NFL

Colorado coach Deion Sanders is heading into a new season with the Buffaloes. However, for the first time, he’ll be without two of his most important players: Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders.

On Friday, Sanders joined former NFL cornerback Asante Samuel on his “Say What Needs To Be Said" podcast. He talked about what’s next for Colorado and being without his two stars next season.

“The absence of Travis Hunter cannot be replaced," Sanders said. "What Shedeur did for the program, only those inside understand who he was. And as long as he had the ball in his hands, everybody in the country thought we had a chance.”

NCAA Football: Colorado Spring Game - Source: Imagn

Shedeur and Hunter led a remarkable turnaround for the Buffaloes in 2024. After the program endured seven consecutive losing seasons, the two helped steer Colorado to a 9-4 (7-2 Big 12) record.

They are in the NFL now as Hunter was picked at No. 2 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He became one of the highest-drafted players ever at both cornerback and wide receiver. Shedeur, who was initially projected to be a top 10 pick in pre-draft boards, fell to the fifth round, going at No. 144 to the Cleveland Browns.

Hunter and Shedeur had their jersey numbers retired during Colorado’s spring game in April.

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Deion Sanders on Shedeur Sanders’ pre-draft rumors

Shedeur Sanders' tumble in the 2025 NFL draft led to theories cropping up since the quarterback put up excellent numbers during his two years at Colorado. Some said that his pre-draft conduct in team meetings was not great. while others reported, citing an anonymous coach, that he came off as “arrogant.”

However, Deion Sanders doesn’t believe any of it. During Friday's episode of Asante Samuel's “Say What Needs To Be Said" podcast, the coach called out the media for spreading those rumors.

“They want to create these narratives and create these stories and then attach them to a kid that ain’t never did anything wrong,” Sanders said.

Despite slipping in the draft, Shedeur received positive reviews for his performance during rookie minicamps and the NFL offseason workouts.

Meanwhile, Colorado will begin its 2025 season at home against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.