Tag: Deion Sanders

Hard to understand all of the questions surrounding Hunter

Wondering about a player who excels on offense and defense speaks volumes about the NFL’s talent evaluators.

As we all know by now, the action never stops in the NFL, even without games being played. The scouting combine is behind us, and free agency is about done (with the exception of the normal Aaron Rodgers drama) before the NFL Draft in late-April. Speaking of the draft, one of the main questions leading up to the time to see players officially become professionals center around Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter. Speculation goes from discussion about where Hunter gets drafted, to how he should be used once said team selects him with a presumably high draft choice. On one side, the questions could be seen as valid, and on the other, it would be understood if this topic as a whole is nothing more than made-up fodder for the talking heads and “experts” to quench the thirst for content.

Before diving into the validity of the questions, let’s start with facts about the player, for context purposes. Hunter was highly-recruited by numerous power-conference schools, before stunning the college football world with the decision to play at Jackson State, who was coached by Deion Sanders at the time. On the surface, people wondered why would Hunter go play at the smaller college, but considering cornerback is his natural position (more on that in a minute), why wouldn’t he want to learn from arguably the best to ever play that position? After spending his first year at JSU, Hunter would follow Sanders to Colorado, where he would become a household name with his versatility. Not only would he remain one of the best corners in the land, but also become one of the elite receivers. His ability to be on the field for around 100 plays per game (routinely) was instrumental in his winning of the Heisman trophy this past season. Now, Hunter is anywhere in the top-five on most draft boards as far as best players available goes.

After reading that last paragraph, it’s logical to ask why there are issues deciding where Hunter would fit in the scheme of the team who drafts him. The problem isn’t the athlete as much as it is the front offices doing the evaluation. Like most things in life, feedback and “analysis” come from a negative lens, talking about what can’t be done, or what a player can’t or won’t do. What Hunter can do is play the game of football, and there’s no reason why he can’t do in the NFL what he did in college. Deciding how to use Hunter’s talents should be easy from a front office perspective, but because the focus is on detracting, lines become blurred. If his natural position is defensive back, draft him with the purpose of playing him there, then put a package together where he can get some snaps on the offensive end (just to start off). If Hunter is still feeling fresh after whatever play-count, give him more plays. Most of all, why wouldn’t a team want to get a player with Hunter’s skillset as many chances on the field as possible? More often than not, there’s too many questions that have no reason to be asked.

Of course, we won’t get answers until the draft opens April 24 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but it doesn’t mean the time for forecast is stopping anytime soon. With that in mind, let’s talk about the draft order. The Tennessee Titans hold the first pick, followed by the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. Unsurprisingly, conversation begins and ends with the quarterback position, and this year’s class is headlined by Cam Ward (The “U” of Miami) and Shedeur Sanders (Hunter’s teammate at Colorado). Most will say this is crazy, but if the Titans aren’t taking Hunter with the pick, it might be better to trade down and stockpile more picks. Despite all of the hype (along with the everlasting obsession with the QB position), there’s nothing that says Ward or Sanders are players franchises can build around. On top of that, Tennessee has a bunch of issues on their roster, and picking a quarterback doesn’t make them go away. It’s easily forgotten how much of a team sport football is, and unless the Titans start with roster-building, the same problems will persist. Plus, if it doesn’t work out with Hunter, the team isn’t torpedoed for years, like missing on a QB would do. So if Tennessee keeps the pick, they might as well go with arguably the best player.

It’s no secret the NFL season is a grind, and the toll the game can take on the human body is undeniable. Also true is how rare it is to see players take snaps on both sides of the ball with regularity. What Hunter will attempt to do upon entering the league has never been done before, but can he at least have a chance before it’s an automatic no? We’re always told history is meant to be broken, so let’s see what Hunter does. From all indications, he has a work ethic to match the talent, and a mentality to be great at what he does. At the end, that should be all front offices ask for, and this could be a big mistake if Hunter doesn’t get to maximize his talents because of bad management.

Coach Prime and Colorado gets humbled, and so does the media hype

One can only be blinded by the glitz and glamour for so long, and Oregon made that clear Saturday

Before diving into the sound defeat No. 9 (as of the latest Associated Press poll) Oregon gave Colorado (now unranked), it’s time to give disclaimers. The first are about the feelings I have towards Deion Sanders and what he’s doing at Colorado’s program. I actually like what Sanders has brought (and is bringing) to the squad. Let’s remember this is a team that was 1-11 last season. The fact they already have three wins to begin the year shows the Buffaloes are significantly better than they were at any point in 2022. Secondly, this isn’t me necessarily coming to the defense of “Coach Prime” and Colorado, nor is it me trying to pile on after they caught this humbling loss to the Ducks. This is an attempt to bring reality to a situation that went way too far into fantasy world. It’s understood what’s about to be said will probably fall on deaf ears, and many will continue to ignore what’s actually there. Even with knowing that, there’s no denying what happened Saturday, and what to look for as more games are played.

Let’s start with the events on the field, where things really matter in this case. Oregon won 42-6 at Autzen Stadium, in a contest where the score probably could have been worse than it was. Every game tells its own story, and one word explains what happened in this one, domination. The Ducks outgained the Buffaloes 522-199 in total yardage. On defense, the pressure they brought to Sanders’ son, Shedeur, was relentless, sacking the quarterback seven times. There are many more stats that could explain how much of a mismatch this was, but those are the two that stick out. The main point to take out of this game is Colorado has potential to rise to prominence with “Coach Prime” going forward, but understand they have a long way to go before that happens. They will head to the Big 12 after this season, but as they navigate through the Pac-12 in that conference’s final days, don’t be surprised if this is the first of multiple losses looming for the Buffaloes.

That’s the reality, and it’s been there all along, The problem is many weren’t (and never are) willing to look into the details, allowing themselves to be infatuated with the shiny new toys. Colorado is the latest example of the flashy car, and the media did all they could to have everyone blinded by the hype. The hot take machines started this months ago, when ESPN decided the Buffaloes’ spring football game was the only one worthy of being on their main station. The hype train continued to gain steam, and when Colorado defeated TCU (who went to last season’s national championship game) on the road in their first game, it was a forgone conclusion Neon Deion and the Buffs were going to be the hottest topic on everyone’s airwaves. Fox Sports’ Big Noon Kickoff pregame show spent the first three weeks of the season around Colorado, and will be back in Boulder when eighth-ranked USC comes to town Saturday. Of course, ESPN had to bring College GameDay to town, and the network’s other shows, such as First Take and The Pat McAfee Show, were right there with them. Even CBS News’ 60 Minutes came to interview Sanders. With all of the glitz and glamour comes a bullseye, and if anyone was wondering how Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was feeling before and after the contest with Colorado, Lanning left no doubts, with colorful quotes such as “Rooted in substance, not flash, rooted in substance,” among others. It’s a certainty the Ducks won’t be the only team with this attitude. As for the hype and hot take machines, consider them humbled just like the Buffs, at least for the time being.

Now, the question is what happens from here. Yes, the style and lights shining all over the Colorado program says this is a speed bump on the way to a College Football Playoff berth, but realistically, expectations should be far less than that. At the risk of repeating myself, this program is coming off of a 1-11 campaign. It was beyond time to clean house, move furniture, pressure wash the floors and walls, and bring the people with the hazmat suits in. The squad has a new coach, and practically a whole new team, thanks to the transfer portal. For the people who had tunnel vision and only saw the flash, seeing what Oregon did came as a shock. All Oregon did was reinforce the truth, which is the Buffs’ roster isn’t on par with what the Ducks, and other teams in the Pac-12, have in their’s. In other words, this season is all about building a foundation where growth happens, and any sniff of a decent bowl game is looked at as gravy. Winning seven or eight games should be considered a successful season for Colorado. It’s not competing for a conference title, but coming from where they were a year ago, a participation trophy would be in order. This is my way of saying more losses are coming this season, and with each one, the shine will continue to wear off.

In closing, I want to reiterate I’m rooting for Coach Prime, and I wouldn’t mind seeing the dream scenario of the Buffs winning the conference. In reality, middle-of-the-pack is probably where they’ll end up, then it’s on to the Big 12 come 2024. If all of those people who are in the media, or work for the networks as “experts,” were being truthful, they would realize the same. Instead, it’s about what’s hot, and where the most money and eyes can be accumulated. I won’t say Sanders and Colorado are playing for clicks, but they have become the favorites to win that particular battle. The lesson that should be taken from Oregon’s housing of the Buffs is be willing to open the hood of the car to make sure it’s running properly, instead of assuming it does because it looks nice. Hype and glitz only go so far, and substance is what ultimately proves what’s real. Who knows? Colorado might be able to put the Oregon loss behind them, and put themselves in the conference race, but I doubt it. Right now, the players aren’t there to compete with top competition, and that’s okay. The choice we have to make as fans is between doing homework and research, or continuing to let shiny things influence us. I choose to stay optimistic, but realistic. The feeling is I’ll be part of the minority if I ask who’s coming with me.