Former CU WR LaJohntay Wester arrived at Colorado with a very different view of himself than the role Deion Sanders had in mind for him. Wester was coming off a huge season at FAU and expected to carry that confidence into Boulder. Instead, his first few weeks under Sanders left him frustrated enough to walk into the head coach’s office and demand some clarity. That conversation ended up changing everything.
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“He don’t play radio at all,” LaJohntay Wester said about Coach Prime on the August 12 Dukethescoop podcast. “I could look back, and my first couple of weeks there coach prime like I did not like him. I had a big problem with Coach Prime. I’m in his office probably the second week there. Okay, let’s get some clarification cuz I’m just coming off this season 1,100 yard, 100 catches.”
There was a reason Wester felt that way. At FAU in 2023, he caught 108 passes for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing among the nation’s most productive receivers. That production helped make him one of the most attractive transfer additions for Colorado ahead of the 2024 season. Colorado, though, already had Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. in the receiver room. Wester was not walking into an offense that needed another player to dominate every target.
“He kind of had to sit me down and tell me. Like we got Travis, we got Shedeur. We need somebody who’s going to take leadership of this receiving room,” Wester added. “Who’s going to do the things and speak up when Travis or Shedeur not speaking? Cuz Travis he outgoing person, but he not checking his partner for real. …once he laid that blueprint out for me, I just followed it.”
ESPN reported before the 2024 season that Shedeur himself had helped recruit Wester to Colorado. Sanders said he had watched Wester’s film and wanted him in Boulder because the Buffaloes believed they could use his strengths. Colorado was coming off a 4-8 season and wanted a roster capable of taking another step. Wester eventually learned that his value was not going to be measured only by how many balls came his way. But when he did get the ball, he made every play special. There was another side to his role, too.
Wester became a key special-teams player. Against Utah, he returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown, and he averaged 12.2 yards per punt return on 10 returns during the season. Wester left Colorado as much more than the receiver who came in from FAU looking for targets. He became a key part of the offense, handled punt returns and took on a leadership role in the receiver room. His play was enough to get him picked by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado also finished 2024 at 9-4, its best season since 2016.