Deion Sanders: 'Strange' Shedeur Isn't in Heisman Race but Travis Hunter Is the Best

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders weighed in on this year's Heisman Trophy race following the Buffaloes' 34-23 win over Cincinnati on Saturday.

Sanders said he doesn't necessarily care whether quarterback Shedeur Sanders is considered a serious candidate but that "it's just strange" he isn't in the conversation much.

"It's just funny to me," Coach Prime told reporters. "I just think it's just ignorant, but it's funny to us because Shedeur could care less. Shedeur wants to be drafted in a wonderful city. He wants to win out. That's what he thinks about. He ain't thinking about no darn Heisman, man."

Sanders was much more declarative when it came to two-way star Travis Hunter, whose Heisman candidacy lost momentum when a shoulder injury limited his usage in Colorado's previous two games.

"Now, Travis is the best college football player in the country. We all know that," Sanders said. "Why are we even deliberating over that? What are we doing? Like, when does that change? So what's the criteria? Somebody needs to say what's the criteria of that prestigious award. Because we're looking at the best high school football player that — there hasn't been a Travis Hunter ever. Ever. And I'm sitting up here saying that."

On Shedeur, Sanders answered his own question to some extent when he lobbied for Hunter.

It takes exceptional circumstances for teammates to be on the same Heisman ballot. Alabama had two finalists in 2020 (Mac Jones and DeVonta Smith), which came after the Crimson Tide were 11-0 and the SEC champions. Ohio State also did it the year earlier with Justin Fields and Chase Young, and the Buckeyes were likewise unbeaten going into the postseason.

Colorado, by contrast, is unranked and lacks a true signature win. Both are unhelpful toward any efforts by Shedeur to build a Heisman campaign. His individual numbers are also strong (2,591 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and a 165.0 passer rating) but not exceptional enough to overcome his team's record.

Hunter, on the other hand, reminded fans why he has a case to be atop the Heisman hierarchy. He caught nine passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns while notching two tackles and breaking up four passes against Cincinnati.

The junior is at the very least on track to get an invite to New York City of the Heisman ceremony, and he might wind up as the second winner in program history after Rashaan Salaam in 1994.