Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have had two contrasting storylines during the whole saga around their draft stocks. In Hunter’s case, his status as a top 5 pick is guaranteed. However, the discussions about whether he can be a two-way phenomenon in the NFL have continued. Analysts continue to doubt that he’d do it. Hunter? Well, no one believes in Colorado’s No. 12 more than the man himself. Shedeur, on the other hand, was mentioned with Cam Ward in the top tier of QBs in 2025 a month ago. For one reason or another, that began to shift. Why?
Well, whether it’s because the teams saw tape or because of the whole hoo-hah around Shedeur during his Combine interviews, there’s not a lot of noise around him being the No. 1 pick. Every draft analyst is predicting Ward to go No. 1. It could be to the Tennessee Titans, or some other team could trade and climb up the ladder. On the other hand, Shedeur’s stock has fallen as low as the No. 21 pick to the Steelers. Chris Simms didn’t even have him in the top tier of QBs. Cam Ward was the only Tier 1 QB on Simms’ list. Given that Shedeur didn’t throw at the Combine or run the 40m dash, scouts didn’t get an opportunity to enhance their understanding of Coach Prime’s QB son.
That can change, given we are into the Pro Day phase of the draft season. All eyes are on his Big 12 Pro Day to see how he backs up his top-tier attitude with the same level of performance. The stage is set. The date is locked. But Sanders is not planning to perform a traditional 40-yard dash. Will he reserve it for the Colorado Pro Day? Well, that, too, seems dicey after the national analyst’s bombshell take.
The second annual Big 12 Pro Day kicks off Tuesday in Frisco, Texas. The former Colorado quarterback and potential top-10 NFL Draft pick Shedeur Sanders, and the Heisman hero Travis Hunter are scheduled to show up. However, the Colorado stars will just be there to attend the interviews with the pro coaches. And they won’t showcase their traditional skills or participate in any typical strength exhibition.
It makes the wait even longer for fans to witness their favorites in front of the scouts. Colorado Pro Day, which is on April 4th, is the only chance left after all the things the Colorado QB has gone through the past few weeks. If he unleashes a fiery performance even in the home comfort at Boulder with all the known faces surrounding him, the attitude adjustment narrative can be put to rest going forward.
But ESPN journalist Field Yates takes that idea with a pinch of salt. During the March 24th episode of ‘First Draft,’ host Mike Greenberg asked Yates what is that thing he is looking for during any Pro Day. “I would say that it’s generally one specific area for some players. There are some guys that I don’t really need to see a whole lot from them at their Pro Day. Either they stand on what they did at the Combine, or they decide to redo the same exercises.”
However, when it comes to Shedeur and Travis, Yates doesn’t think the duo will run the 40. ”Soon, we have the Colorado Pro day. I doubt Shedeur Sanders will run a 40. I’m not even sure Travis Hunter will run a 40. But those are the kind of guys in which you kind of just push aside most of what takes place at the Pro Day. I will be there by the way out in Boulder. I can’t wait for that.”
On the one hand, Yates is saying that he wouldn’t expect players Shedeur and Travis to run the 40 on their Pro Day. At the same time, we can imagine there being a counter-narrative after the event of Shedeur choosing to showcase to the scouts his ability to use his legs. A possible result? The doubts surrounding his prowess will increase, and we may see another drop in his stock.
Travis Hunter has also not shown his skill during the combine, saving it up for the pro day exclusive with a highly ambitious goal to reach the top in the grueling world of the NFL. ‘‘They say nobody has ever done it the way I do it (playing both in offense and defense),” Hunter proudly stated at the NFL Scouting Combine. “But I tell them I’m just different. I am a different person.”
However, regardless of the doubts and flakes, Coach Prime is playing the forever fanboy of his former two-way star and never shying away from boasting the same to the world.
Deion Sanders fiercely backs up Travis Hunter in his eccentric NFL demands
The one question that has become a recurring theme in the draft conversation is Travis Hunter’s two-way ability and its ‘acceptance and durability in the NFL. While the NFL is undoubtedly more taxing physically, Hunter believes that he is very much equipped to make good use of the limited breaks between drives, quarters, and television timeouts to boost his recovery, even at a better rate than in college.
And guess who is there to second him even louder, as always? Yes, the all-time cheerleader, Coach Prime. ”He doesn’t know any other way,” Sanders said during an appearance on the Pro Football Talk. “What else would he do, just sit there by the water cooler while the offense is getting their butts kicked, and you’ve got the best receiver probably on your team over there with the coach waiting for his turn to go back on the field? That doesn’t make sense to me. Just because a person hasn’t done this in the majority of the NFL, don’t say what another man can’t do.”
When you love the game, there will be a different kind of power you embody in yourself, and that is the exact power Sanders and his boy, Travis Hunter, are promoting here. No matter if any NFL team gives a nod to their firm condition and belief, Travis Hunter will always be the epic, exclusive, rare double-threat asset to his fans with significant splashes on both sides of the ball.
The post ESPN Insider Rings Alarm For Shedeur Sanders & Travis Hunter’s Stocks in Pro Day Speculation Amid Coach Prime’s Message appeared first on EssentiallySports.