Deion Sanders’ shadow looms large as Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders get ready to take the next step in their careers. On Friday, Coach Prime once again reiterated that he will have a say in his son’s NFL future saying that he won’t allow him to play for “a couple of teams.” Shedeuer, on the other hand, had a slightly different take. Not only this, but last month he implied that Hunter and Shedeur won’t be in Green Bay for the 2025 NFL Draft.

There is a good chance that Shedeur and Hunter will end up being first-round picks. While it will mark a significant moment in their careers, Coach Prime has plans for a party in Boulder at the CU Events Center. Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show last month, the Buffs HC said, “I got two dogs, you don’t think I have plans for that? I got a kennel. You won’t see us … We want to celebrate with our people, with our folks, with our wonderful student body.” Shedeur reaffirmed those plans confirming his absence on Draft Day, but Travis Hunter is not keen on missing out.

With the big day just two months away, and Hunter being projected as the No.1 pick in many circles, the two-way star is eager to soak in the occasion. Having followed Coach Prime everywhere in his career, Hunter is ready to step out on his own and has plans to make the trip to Green Bay.

On Thursday, speaking During an episode of his podcast, “The Travis Hunter Show,” the Heisman winner was asked by cohost, Boog about his Draft day plans. Hunter replied, “If I’m the number one pick, I only get to walk that stage one time with a smile on my face. Got to do it. First person in my family to do it. Oh, I’m definitely doing it.”

See, Travis Hunter locked it down like a boss in 2024, allowing just 22 catches for 205 yards on 38 targets. Plus, he also racked up 11 breakups, snagged 4 picks, and threw in 12 clutch tackles for good measure. Well, critics might side-eye his slender build, but his tackling style and big-brain football IQ in crunch moments silence the haters. And that’s what you need in an intense game in the NFL.

Moreover, Travis Hunter is straight-up chaos on offense too. He pulled in 92 catches for 1,152 yards and 14 TDs, making him one of the top receivers in the game. Naturally, awards followed. Hunter was adorned with The Heisman, the Biletnikoff, and the AP Player of the Year as the Buffs reached the Alamo Bowl. It is no surprise that most draft projections see him picked as one of the top three.

Well, the main question is, how is Travis Hunter’s two-way skill going to transition into the pro league? Now we all know that Hunter wants to play on both sides, but in the NFL, the chances of that happening are quite low. The best example we can think of is his mentor and father figure, Deion Sanders.

During the 1996 season, Sanders had 36 receptions for 475 yards and a touchdown, along with 33 tackles and two interceptions. But this cornerback and wideout experiment lasted just for a year, and Coach Prime never lined up as a wideout after that. So, if that’s the case, things might not go according to Hunter’s plan. However, he remains enthusiastic.

Hunter has maintained that he wants to play both sides for the team that will pick him in the draft. In November, Hunter said, “It’s never been done. I understand that it will be a high risk, [teams] don’t want their top pick to go down too early and I know they’re going to want me to be in a couple packages. But I believe I can do it. Nobody has stopped me from doing it thus far.”

Hunter’s recent comments mean the streak of Heisman winners attending the NFL Draft will extend. The last winner who didn’t attend the draft in person was Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the 2018 NFL draft when he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Browns.

These comments also suggest that he is ready to move out of Coach Prime’s shadow, having followed him from Jackson State to Colorado, but that is not the only way in which Sanders has become a talking point ahead of the draft.

Last year in March, on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast, Sanders said he wouldn’t allow Shedeur and Hutner to be drafted by certain teams, recreating Eli Manning’s draft-day actions in 2004. He reiterated this stance during his Friday appearance on The Tamron Hall Show.

“It’s not like who I would like for him to play for. It’s a couple of teams that I won’t allow him to play for. So it’s not like that. But this is my profession. I know what’s behind the curtain,” he said. When asked what would happen if Shedeur went against his wishes, Coach Prime dismissed the concern. However, Shedeur has had a more measured approach.

Speaking on his podcast he said, “Whatever happens happens. I know at the end of the day God is gonna put me on the right team.” It looks like both of Coach Prime’s students are ready to take their own path as they prepare for the big league.

Meanwhile, since Hunter is looking to show up for the draft day, let’s take a look at which team is likely to land the two-way star.

Travis Hunter’s NFL destination

Many mock drafts have placed the Heisman winner as one of the top three picks. Pro Football projects him to be a No.2 pick by the Cleveland Browns and CBS Sports has the same projection for Hunter. USA Today also places him as the overall No. 2 pick for the Browns, which will see him atch the highest selection ever for a Colorado player. Fullback Bo Matthews was the No. 2 overall pick of the San Diego Chargers in the 1974 NFL Draft.

Shedeur, on the other hand, has been selected by quite a few mock drafts as right behind Hunter in the number three spot with the New York Giants the favorites to land him. If this indeed ends up happening, Sanders would become the highest-drafted Buffs quarterback ever.

The future is exciting for both Hunter and Shedeur. While the QB is being nonchalant about what happens, Hunter has clearly stated his ambitions, reflecting a desire to be seen as more than Coach Prime’s prodigy.