“Prime” Deion Sanders was “definitely showing out” his old boys. All the Colorado Buffaloes draftees—Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter, Shilo Sanders, Jimmy Horn Jr, and others, including a once “underrated” wideout—were all heavily involved in their first NFL taste during preseason. Not everyone produced viral highlight reels, but a few certainly did. Shedeur Sanders looked every bit the composed QB1 in Carolina. And in Baltimore, his old sideline weapon delivered a performance that had shades of a Ravens draft-day steal.

Deion Sanders made sure every one of his rookies got their shine. He posted highlight videos of each CU draftee’s preseason debut, feeding that unspoken bond between coach and player. For Baltimore Ravens sixth-round pick LaJohntay Wester, it wasn’t just about football—it was personal. Speaking to Carita Parks, Wester described what it meant to play for Sanders. “Man, it was a blessing coming to play with Coach Prime. I seen it when I was at FAU. I’m like, man, I want to be a part of that. Just having a head coach with that type of swag, that type of player mentality, like they gonna have to come in here and beat us.

“He didn’t change for nobody. Just his position changed. And I think that intrigued me and brought me in more… he led the whole university. And he pushed me day in and day out. He tested me as a man, as a player, everything. So, it was great playing with him. That’s my dog. At the end of the day, we had our ups and downs, but that’s my dog, man. And that’s with anybody, literally.” That swagger translated into Wester’s NFL arrival.

With 2:37 left in the first quarter of the Ravens’ preseason opener against the Colts, Baltimore’s defense forced a fourth-and-18 punt after Adisa Isaac and rookie Mike Green met Daniel Jones for a sack. What followed was a jolt of electricity. LaJohntay Wester, who had already ripped off a 17-yard return earlier, fielded the punt and sliced through coverage like a hot knife through cold butter. Eighty-three yards later, M&T Bank Stadium erupted. It was the kind of play that turns a fringe roster hopeful into a coaching staff’s late-night film obsession. He finished with 104 return yards and a touchdown on just three attempts, adding two catches for 41 yards—one of them a 30-yard grab that showed his route-running nuance.

This wasn’t just flash—it was proof of multi-phase value. In the NFL, where special teams can decide the last three roster spots, that 83-yard return was Wester’s golden ticket. Baltimore already has a crowded receiver room with DeAndre Hopkins, Zay Flowers, and Rashod Bateman, but Wester’s vision in the open field and ability to flip field position put him in a different lane. His acceleration through the second level on that return was textbook—no wasted steps, hips loose, eyes scanning for pursuit angles.

It’s the same spatial awareness that made him Shedeur’s safety valve in Boulder. And speaking of his ex-QB1, who also finished with a high of 14-of-23 for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 preseason win over the Panthers, Wester made sure to praise: “He’s very misunderstood… he’s funny and does a lot of charity stuff.” The moment wasn’t all about on-field heroics. Wester also touched on Deion Sanders’ recent cancer battle and recovery, revealing a more vulnerable side of their bond.

“I haven’t had no conversation with him since then. I just been praying for him. God doing his thing like he always do with him, and you see back on his feet back better. And hopefully, Lord’s willing, he stay healthy.” In a week where Deion Sanders’ cancer battle update drew waves of support, hearing one of his former players speak with such sincerity underscored how much that relationship transcends the scoreboard. The Ravens may have found a diamond in the rough with this sixth-round pick.

LaJohntay Wester’s playbook just got bigger

Turns out, that 83-yard lightning bolt LaJohntay Wester dropped in the preseason wasn’t just a “Hey, remember me?” moment—it was a career accelerator. And Baltimore’s offensive brain trust is already circling his name in ink. Ravens OC Todd Monken isn’t shy about it either.

That’s not just coach-speak. Monken sees Wester as more than a return ace—he’s a Swiss Army knife hiding in plain sight. “I think down the road this year and moving forward and he’s going to be a heck of a weapon. And he gives us somebody… he’s going to probably be up on game day. As a returner, he kind of gives us another novelty, for Zay Flowers, and Mark and Zay, you’ve got a couple of guys doing the same thing. You can plug and play. If something happens to Zay, LaJohntay can come in there and make those same plays in the same novelty world. But he’s doing awesome.” Baltimore just found another joystick player. Let’s appreciate what we have seen.