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Deion Sanders reveals bowl game plan for Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Deion Sanders and Colorado are gearing up for the Buffaloes’ first bowl appearance since 2020 — and the first in a full season since 2016 — as they face Big 12 foe BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28.
The big question surrounding the Buffs will be the status of the team’s top 2 players: Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. While Shedeur Sanders’ eligibility is exhausted after 2024, Hunter has another year but has already indicated he plans to enter the NFL Draft. In an era where pro prospects opting out of bowls is the norm, that doesn’t sound as if it will be the case for Sanders’ team.
“We have a plethora of seniors that are pro-bound, and guess what? Every last one of them are gonna play,” the Buffs head coach said in a virtual press conference. “We don’t tap out. We don’t sit out. It’s a blessing to play this wonderful game and our kids are gonna play.”
That includes both Hunter, a presumptive Heisman Trophy candidate, and Shedeur Sanders.
“We’ve got a kid that’s probably gonna pick up — not probably, what am I talking about? — matter-of-factly gonna pick up the Heisman Trophy this week, and he’s gonna play,” Deion Sanders said. “We’ve got a quarterback that picked up an award last weekend, and he’s gonna play.”
Coach Prime during the Alamo Bowl Introductory Conference said all of Colorado’s Pro-Bound players are going to play in the Alamo Bowl against #BYU. pic.twitter.com/vSs9kTCcVI
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) December 8, 2024
The Buffs have made a remarkable turnaround under Sanders, and they’ll now have an opportunity to achieve the program’s first 10-win season since 2016.
Shedeur Sanders leads the Big 12 with 3,926 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. He also led the league in completion percentage (74.2%) and trailed only Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt in yards per pass attempt (8.6).
Hunter has 1,152 receiving yards with a Big 12-leading 14 receiving scores. He also has 4 interceptions.
Colorado is a 2.5-point favorite over BYU in its bowl game, per DraftKings.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
