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Kyle Bonagura, ESPN Staff Writer
Top Colorado NFL draft prospects QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/DB Travis Hunter are expected to play in a bowl game, coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday.
Hinting at the possibility the duo could follow the recent trend of sitting out a bowl game to protect against the possibility of injury ahead of the NFL draft, Sanders was asked if Friday’s game at home against Oklahoma State could be the final time they suit up for Colorado.
“No, it’s not the last time you’re going to see them in a Buffs uniform,” Sanders said. “These two and all the rest of the seniors have done a wonderful job of getting us to where we are, instilling so much expectation in our fan base and expectation in ourselves.
“So, we’re going to fight and try to go out there and kick some butt and end this thing on the right note. And we are going to go to a bowl game in this thing on the right note because our fans deserve the absolute best.”
Colorado’s loss to Kansas on Saturday was a significant blow to the Buffaloes’ Big 12 title game chances. Even if Colorado beats Oklahoma State, it will likely need at least two combined losses between Arizona State, BYU and Iowa State this week to reach the title game.
In ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller’s latest mock draft, he projected Sanders as the No. 1 overall pick and Hunter at No. 2.
Coach Sanders also took time Tuesday to voice his displeasure with Hunter not being named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in college football.
“How is Travis Hunter snubbed by the Jim Thorpe Award?” Sanders said. “You could have my award, you could have it back. Matter of fact, I’m going to give him mine. I ain’t using it. It’s just sitting up there collecting dust. So Travis could have my Thorpe Award because if this ain’t the most idiotic thing in college football, that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award and I would say he is — I would say arguably, but I don’t think it’s really an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”
Sanders won the Thorpe Award as a senior at Florida State in 1988.
“I don’t know how in the world is Travis Hunter not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” he said. “They just pretty much messed up all the integrity of the award and he could have mine, whoever’s voting down there, who’s ever bringing it home. Thank you because I don’t even want mine now.”