The race for the Heisman trophy was already hotting up, and most recent awardee Jayden Daniels’ spectacular showing up on the weekend against another recipient Caleb Williams has only added fuel to the discourse. Everyone is clamoring to drop their two cents on who should be the successor to these two studs. Another quarterback perhaps? Deion Sanders had something to say about one he knows all about.

Shedeur Sanders has been nothing short of phenomenal this year. He has rubbed shoulders with fellow QBs throughout and has arguably over delivered at a relatively minor Colorado program. Shedeur is expected to be the first QB off the board in the upcoming draft if not the outright No. 1 pick. Still, he is nowhere close to being in the conversation for the most coveted individual accolade in the sport. What’s perplexing is that he finds himself behind the likes of QBs Cade Klubnik and Carson Beck, according to oddsmakers.

“He’s not even mentioned for the Heisman? Oh, my bad! He’s my son. That’s why”, said Coach Prime after the Buffaloes’ 34-23 win against Cincinnati, spearheaded by Shedeur. He found humor in the situation. Prime’s nonchalant demeanor but effective statement raises the question of whether there is any truth to the remark.

Shedeur being largely overlooked in the race, has led Deion to speculate there is a sort of “reverse-nepotism” angle at play, for the lack of a better term. Deion Sanders is one of the most popular figures across American sports. There may be some legs to this speculation, especially with the sensitive topic of nepotism being widely discussed in the wake of Bronny James’ inclusion at the Lakers. As the season has progressed, Shedeur has more than thwarted any conversations pertaining to his individuality and proven his worth to the powers that be.

An outcome one can derive from Klubnik and Beck’s odds to win being better than Sanders’s is an underlying bias for bigger programs. Clemson’s Klubnik is statistically worse off than Shedeur in most categories. Beck has also had a downturn in terms of turning the ball over. He has 8 picks already, compared to 6 in the entirety of last season. Perhaps what stands in the way of Shedeur is not his competition, but a peer.

Shedeur’s biggest obstacle in the Heisman quest lies in-house

It is difficult for a player to stand out when he’s teammates with Travis Hunter. As Hunter continues to defy the norm, playing basically every snap of the ballgame, he casts a shadow over Shedeur’s own greatness. Travis is one of the favorites for the award according to oddsmakers at +330. This is a huge leap after his exploits on the weekend against Cincinnati.

For Colorado fans and the Sanders’ alike, will fully support Hunter’s case and hope he can bring the Heisman back to Folsom Field after 30 years. Deion called Travis “the best football player in the country” in the aftermath of the Cincinnati game. There will be no love lost if he is the one who ultimately pips Shedeur.