Deion Sanders reveals his message to Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter ahead of NFL Draft year

Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are presumably in their final year of college football. Deion Sanders has been vocal about getting the two Colorado stars into the NFL. As of now, both are projected to be first-round picks this upcoming April.

Luckily for those two, Deion Sanders has gone through the same process in his life. While he will not compare the two situations, the Colorado head coach offered up some advice about being ready for the moment. Making the most of the opportunity is what he wants more than anything.

“I want them to maximize their moments,” Sanders said when speaking to On3’s Phillips Dukes at Big 12 Media Days in Las Vegas. “Life consists of a multitude of moments God has afforded us. To be where we are, that means we maximized. That means somebody gave you an opportunity and you did your thing…

“These young men, they understand the opportunities that are before them and they’re preparing right now so when it comes, they’re going to take advantage of it.”

In a recent ESPN mock draft, Shedeur Sanders was projected to go No. 2 overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. Hunter was not too far behind him, going to the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 9 overall pick. You have to go back to 2011 to find Colorado’s last first-round pick and 1995 for somebody inside of the top 10.

Deion Sanders went fifth overall to the Atlanta Falcons, beginning his eventual Hall of Fame career. Now in the coaching world, he can pass his wisdom onto two players with bright NFL futures.

Opportunity is certainly ahead of the younger Sanders and Hunter.

Moving to the Big 12 alone should give them a chance to play against improved competition. But Colorado has to feel better about the offensive line heading into 2024, allowing Sanders to show off his full catalog of throws. Staying healthy would be a huge benefit for the quarterback too.

Hunter should be on the receiving end of plenty of them. In 2023, he caught 57 passes for 721 yards and five touchdowns. Maybe a 1,000-yard season is within reach.

You know continuing to make plays defensively is something Hunter will want to do as well, truly being one of the lone two-way stars in football at the moment. Not many will have the opportunity Hunter could have by playing both sides at the next level.