Back in Boulder, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have been the best of buddies. But some analysts tried to break their bonds by bringing the competition between the two. They dreamt of the same regarding their draft rounds too. While Hunter’s dream came true without much toil, it was a game of patience for Shedeur. Now that they have parted ways, finding different homes in the NFL, the critics are still not over the debate of who is better, Shedeur or Hunter? And this time, it’s Cam Newton who tried to heat things up. Maybe Newton has got some kind of motivation given the fact that Shedeur was thrown off the hype train and got drafted not in Round 1 but in Round 5. 

Well, Newton is always known as the man with brutal criticism. Even before the 2025 NFL Draft had picked up momentum, he had a pretty clear view about Shedeur’s road to his NFL home. On January 23, 2025, he made an appearance on the ESPN podcast. There, Newton came with a harsh take on the Buffs quarterback. “The thing about Shedeur,  I am the guy that’s been pushing him to the greatness I want to see Shedeur pick early… but Shedeur also does not want to be challenged.” The main reason behind Newton’s jumping to such a conclusion? He believed that Shedeur only played in a very convenient situation. Well, many might refute, considering the glow-up Deion Sanders’ son has achieved in 2024.

From being the most sacked player [52 times] in 2023, to leading with the highest completion percentage (74.1%) in FBS and in sacks taken, Shedeur proved that he likes getting challenged. However, even though the Buffs quarterback underwent a massive transformation, got drafted by the Cleveland Browns as the No.144 pick. So, what’s the reason behind this big slip down the draft?  Yes, the same old debate about Shedeur’s off-field conduct. As Elite College Football shared a post on IG that had Newton’s take on the Buffs quarterback in light of Hunter. The ex-Carolina Panther star shared, “Shedeur, first of all, I got a hold him accountable. Travis Hunter is what we think Shedeur is supposed to be, Travis Hunter is polished like a quarterback.” What’s his issue with the newly drafted Browns quarterback?

Newton elaborated, “Shedeur has always got a look on his face (imitates Shedeur), snobbish looking. I met Shedeur multiple times. I am looking at him, like okay. He is just like (imitates a watch flex move).” Well, this is not the first time that Shedeur caught eyes for his off-field shenanigans. That even earned him a “red flags” tag. As NFL Rookie Watch posted, “Some NFL teams are reportedly ‘concerned’ that Sanders isn’t solely focused on football, but rather his rap career and creating a personality out of himself… One anonymous NFL GM reportedly believes there’s ‘red flags’ to Shedeur’s personality between his fiery attitude and the watch flexing.” Interestingly, when it comes to Hunter, neither off-field nor on-field doubts stand a chance. 

How Shedeur Sanders stumbled and Travis Hunter rose? 

There was a time when both Hunter and Shedeur held high hopes of landing as the top picks in the 2025 NFL draft. Unfortunately, only one of them got lucky enough to have their dreams fulfilled. And it’s Hunter. The ex-Buffs two-way star landed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who traded up to acquire him as the No. 2 pick. Before finding his new home, he had gotten a clean chit from someone who knows him in and out.

That’s none other than Hunter’s first-ever trainer, Drew Johnson, aka Coach Drew. On April 23, on The Travis Hunter Show, he shared how his student has been an example of perfection. “It would be hard for me to not take Travis Hunter with that first pick. 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 people do. His stamina, the quality of kid [he is]. I’ve done some homework on him.”

At a time when it’s easier for young chaps to fall prey to distractions, the two-way star worked on himself, devoting his time in the weight room. As Coach Drew noted, “He’s already a locker room guy, not a problem. Off the field issues [are] not a problem. The playbook, and I think, just adjusting to be a pro. He already treats himself like a pro. He takes care of his body.”

During the same timeline, Shedeur failed to get rid of his “red flags.” Rather, Tom Pelissero’s pre-draft analysis, taking in various scouts’ takes, fanned the flames – as one of the anonymous NFL assistant coaches shared, “The worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life. He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates… But the biggest thing is, he’s not that good.” With all this in play, does Cam Newton’s tough love for Shedeur still seem unfair?