Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes’ return in 2024 shocked many. A program that went 4-8 suddenly had nine wins. Add to that a Heisman Trophy, a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, and a Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award. All these accolades only tell a part of what led to the turnaround. The Buffs’ success was built on a cultural shift led by a head coach who made it his task to turn young college athletes into gentlemen of tomorrow. Of course, there was also negative press, including some nonsense around the nepotism discourse.

What wasn’t covered was how Coach Prime treated his players as an extension of his family. Be it Travis Hunter, whom he called his 4th son, or Jimmy Horn Jr., for whom Deion Sanders went the extra mile in an attempt to secure Horn Sr.’s release from prison. Coach Prime was there—in moments of sadness and ecstasy —to celebrate everyone’s milestones. He was in the front row applauding his beloved two-way star when Travis Hunter received his Heisman award in New York. When it comes to Hunter, the entire family has a strong bond with the Jaguars rookie. Shedeur, being his quarterback and a close friend, has had his share of banter with Travis. Even Deion Sanders Jr. doesn’t miss a chance to promote the generational talent. Considering the closeness between Travis and the Sanders family, it was a surprise when we didn’t see the latter at Hunter’s special moment.

Travis Hunter and Leanna Lenee tied the knot on Saturday, May 24, 2025, at The Barn at Faith Farms in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 22-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars rookie and his 23-year-old girlfriend celebrated with family and friends. Their love story began in 2022 with a DM on Instagram, leading to their engagement in February 2024.

The absence of the Sanders family was noted by many. On May 25, Coach Prime posted on Instagram to congratulate the couple. “God is sending you a protector, a provider, a prayerful partner, a loyal companion, and someone who is emotionally available. He is sending you His very best. Your love story is already written by Him,” Deion said. However, that didn’t clear why they couldn’t attend the wedding.

In one of the recent YT videos, Deion Sanders Jr. kept it real when he gave us a tour of the Sanders estate! But what caught our attention was when he took a break from all the flexing to give a sincere shoutout—and an apology—to Travis Hunter for not being able to attend his wedding. “But congratulations also to Travis for getting married. He knows why we couldn’t be there.”

You could hear the sincerity in his voice. It wasn’t a mention in passing; it was one of those sincere moments where you know he wishes it were different. The Sanders clan is in the thick of football season, and life has been busy, so they weren’t able to attend Travis’s special day. But Deion Jr. took the time to let Travis know it wasn’t for not caring—it just got in the way, as it sometimes does.

It’s great to see Deion Jr. balance the playfulness, showy aspect of the Sanders lifestyle with those genuine, family-oriented moments. Even while flaunting the mansion, boasting of the lakes, the basketball court, and the ‘rich people stuff,’ he never kept the essential things, like brotherhood and friendships, on the back burner. That apology to Travis was not staged, and you could sense that it meant something to him.

When Deion Jr.’s music stole the show

Hunter’s wedding was certainly one for the books—and Deion Sanders Jr. was able to steal the show, even absent in body! While the entire Sanders clan, including Coach Prime, surprisingly failed to make an appearance on Travis’s wedding day, Deion Jr. nonetheless made himself feel in a way only he knows how to. The actual head-turner? It was all about music. Deion Sanders Jr. isn’t merely a social media celebrity or the big bro character—he’s also a well-known musician. His song “All Fall Down” became the de facto anthem of the evening.

Whenever and wherever that song came on the speakers, the entire mood of the wedding completely shifted. Travis and his crew lost their minds dancing on the floor and made what could have been a low-key moment a full-blown party. The song itself has a pretty deep backstory: Bucky wrote it for his brothers, Shilo and Shedeur, as a kind of rallying cry against all the haters and critics they’ve faced in college football and during the draft process. So, blasting it at Travis’s wedding? That was a subtle flex—a way of saying, ‘We’re still here, still standing, and still celebrating.’

It was also a testament to Travis’ close relationship with the Sanders crew. Although the family could not make it in person (life and football calendars, you get the picture), there was not a speck of bad blood. Indeed, just the day before, Coach Prime had uploaded on social media a tender birthday wish for Travis, addressing him as his ‘son’. And Travis? He couldn’t stop showing appreciation for Deion Jr., even calling him a “YouTube legend” and crediting him for helping him get started on YouTube.