Colorado stars Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders plan to play for Coach Prime and the No. 20 Buffaloes against No. 17 BYU in Saturday’s Alamo Bowl.
The problem is, as anyone who has read a mock NFL draft already knows, the Heisman winner and Deion Sanders’ son are selected in the first round.
So rather than risk injury – and potentially millions of dollars – Colorado’s talented duo took out record-breaking insurance ahead of their bowl game against a fellow Big 12 member.
And that insurance coverage, Coach Prime and athletic director Rick George revealed, was secured through the school. The pair did not reveal a specific dollar amount, but both said it would be a record for college football.
“We happen to have two players who will likely be the first two picks of the NFL draft,” Sanders said Monday. “We all know who those two are and they’ve gotten, I think, the most coverage ever in college football. It far surpasses anyone who has ever played this college football game.”
While college programs purchase insurance for their athletes in case of injuries, Colorado increased disability coverage for the entire roster in the Alamo Bowl. Sanders, the coach of the No. 20 Buffaloes, made sure his QB son and two-way star Hunter got bigger plays as both are projected to be among the top 10 selections in the upcoming NFL draft.
Travis Hunter photographed the 2024 Heisman Trophy victory in New York
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders talks with his son QB Shedeur Sanders
“It was his idea that we should get disability insurance for our athletes for this competition to make sure they played and that they would be properly cared for if an injury occurred,” George said. ‘So we worked on that together. We are enthusiastic about it. We love having all our players in the game. This is how all bowl games should be.”
Things have been a bit complicated for Hunter since he won the Heisman and deleted his Instagram account, amid continued public scrutiny of his fiancée Leanna Lenee.
In the aftermath of his team’s 52-0 win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys in late November, he and Lenee appeared to have an argument as he returned to the field. She even seemed to turn her face away when he went to kiss her.
When the 21-year-old won the Heisman Trophy last week, Lenee was criticized for her subdued reaction as he celebrated.
In a separate incident, 23-year-old Lenee also appeared displeased with Hunter for posing for photos with female fans.
Before his account disappeared on Sunday, fans even speculated whether Lenee had been faithful to Hunter during their relationship.
After his Instagram page disappeared, his Colorado teammate Shedeur Sanders – coach Deion’s son – spoke out for him on you all. how to contact him or someone nearby.
“Right now you’re all just posting for the algorithm to look cool.”
Hunter deleted Instagram over the weekend due to continued mockery of fiancée Leanna Lenee
Colorado (9-3, No. 23 CFP) will face the 17th-ranked BYU Cougars (10-2, No. 17 CFP) on Saturday in the Alamo Bowl.
While most teams are struggling with starters opting out of bowl games this year to enter the transfer portal or the NFL draft, the Buffaloes did not lose a single player on their two-deep roster.
“It’s more than what I got (when he played at Kansas State),” Colorado linebackers coach Andre’ Hart said. “They gave us a helmet and said put it on your leg and go out and play. If they get that (increased insurance coverage), I think it’s helpful. To talk about where the game is, where it’s going and how the leadership is looking after the players, I thought that was excellent.”
Shedeur Sanders completed 337 of 454 passes for 3,926 yards and 35 touchdowns this season. Many scouting services have Sanders rated as the top quarterback in this year’s draft.
Hunter received the Heisman Trophy as a two-way standout at cornerback and wide receiver. He had 92 receptions for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns and, as a cornerback, had four interceptions, broke up 11 passes and limited the opposition to 22 receptions on 688 defensive snaps.
“They took care of us, all of them,” Colorado running back Micah Welch said. “It really means a lot to have every teammate here. That’s something big. What I love about Coach Prime is that they take care of us.”