Colorado will honor two of its most iconic players in recent history before they even step foot into the NFL. During the team’s spring game on April 19, the program will retire the jersey numbers of former star players, Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. This move is considered an uncharacteristic one for college football. Both players were on the team last season and have not been off the team for long.
While both players had strong careers at Colorado, the decision to retire their jerseys comes as a surprise. For Hunter, the winner of the 2024 Heisman, the honor is well deserved but some may question why it is being done so soon. But Sanders, while putting up big numbers for the Buffaloes, is far less accomplished than Hunter as a player. Many see his connection with his father and Colorado Head Coach, Deion Sanders, as a big reason for his jersey retirement.
A Look Back At Sanders’ and Hunter’s College Careers
From the start, Sanders and Hunter formed a dynamic duo that took the college football world by storm. Beginning their careers at Jackson State, where Deion was head coach before taking the Colorado job, Sanders joined the program in 2021 and became the starting quarterback as a true freshman. He guided Jackson State to an 11-2 record. As a sophomore, he was joined by Hunter, and the two of them helped the Tigers go 12-1 and win the SWAC conference.
In two seasons for Jackson State, Sanders threw 70 touchdowns and only 14 interceptions. In his lone season, Hunter caught 18 passes for 188 yards and a score while making 19 total tackles and intercepting 2 passes.
When Sanders took the job at Colorado, Sanders and Hunter quickly entered the transfer portal and followed their coach to Boulder. In their first season with the Buffaloes, the program struggled en route to a 4-8 record, but both Sanders and Hunter had breakout years. Sanders threw for over 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns. Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns while also making 30 total tackles and intercepting 3 passes.
In 2024, the two guided Colorado to a 9-4 record and an appearance in the Alamo Bowl. They lost 36-14 to BYU. Sanders threw for over 4,000 yards and 37 touchdowns. Hunter caught 92 passes for 1,152 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also intercepted 4 passes.
Assessing the Decision To Retire Their Numbers
Make no mistake– both players were the core players in the turnaround of Colorado football. But only being there two seasons and having just one winning season that resulted in them coming up empty-handed, why retire their numbers now? Neither have played a snap in the NFL, let alone gotten drafted. Both still have much to prove regarding whether their success is sustainable.
On the flip side, there is no denying that without Sanders or Hunter, the number of eyes that were on Colorado football for the past two seasons would not nearly be as high. Hunter, in particular, revolutionized college football with his two-way abilities. He could be well on his way to being one of the first players in NFL history to play offense and defense full-time.
When it comes to Sanders, his play helped Colorado’s offense turn into a juggernaut down the stretch and his success could be one of multiple reasons why the Buffaloes were able to entice transfers, such as Kaiden Salter, to sign with the program ahead of the 2o25 season.
Final Thoughts
People have their opinions and thoughts on whether or not Sanders and Hunter are worthy of jersey retirement. But the fact of the matter is, Colorado football saw success for the first time in a long time thanks to the impact those two stars had on the program. Both are expected to be first-round draft picks and looked at to change the fortunes of an NFL franchise. Those are expectations only bestowed on the best of the best.
