Colorado head coach Deion Sanders is not afraid to pull some strings in order to ensure that his son, Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and two-way phenom Travis Hunter end up on the right team come NFL Draft night.

Over the first nine games of Colorado’s season, Shedeur and Hunter have turned in one dominant performance after another en route to propelling the No. 18-seeded Buffaloes to a 7-2 record. Entering Saturday’s matchup against Utah, the signal-caller has completed 250-of-343 passes for 2,882 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just six interceptions.

Hunter, meanwhile, has excelled on both sides of the ball, reeling in 69 catches for 856 yards and nine touchdowns this year. He’s additionally recorded seven pass deflections, two interceptions, and a forced fumble while playing cornerback.

The dominant showings from Shedeur and Hunter have most pundits expecting both players to be selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. If Deion is to have any say, however, several teams with early picks will not have the opportunity to draft them.

While appearing on Fox Sports 1’s ‘Speak,’ co-host Keyshawn Johnson asked Deion if he’d intervene in the draft process should the “wrong” team try to select Shedeur or Hunter. “Yeah, but I’m not going to do it publicly. I’ll do it privately,” he replied. “I’m gonna be Dad until the cows come home, and with Travis as well.”

Though Deion stopped short of naming the teams he wouldn’t like to see draft his son, he did describe in detail what he’s looking for in a potential suitor. “Somebody that can handle the quarterback he is and somebody that can handle, understanding what he’s capable of,” he said.

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Travis Hunter is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

Travis Hunter is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft ( 

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“Someone that has had success in the past handling quarterbacks or someone and an organization that understands what they’re doing. Not just throwing you out there amongst the wolves if you don’t have the support and the infrastructure of the team.

“Forget the ([offensive] line. He’s played with lines that weren’t great but he’s been able to do his thing. But just the infrastructure of the team and the direction of where we’re going.”

As for what kind of player Shedeur is, Deion added: “Shedeur has started every game in high school, every game in college but one and he is like that, man. He has a true gift. It comes from God and he loves football.

“This kid loves this game and he has an insatiable appetite to win. And I want somebody to be able to propel him to the next level as well, not just get drafted by a team because we ain’t having it.”

This isn’t the first time that Deion has hinted at potentially swaying where Shedeur lands in April. During an appearance on the ‘Nightcap’ podcast, he told co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson: “I want what’s best for him.

“I want him to be happy as well. You really don’t get to dictate where your son gets to go because there’s a draft process, but you know us. You know how we are, we know who ain’t trying to win in the NFL. You know who’s consistently in the basement year after year after year.

”You don’t want that situation for your kid or your family members. Nobody, none of them. So we know what time it is.”