As Deion Sanders might know, Mel Kiper has been covering the NFL Draft for decades. When television was in 4:3 and every display weighed as much as a loaded bench press, Kiper was there. However, in his 40+ year career covering the draft, the Shedeur Sanders hype led to perhaps the least correct result ever.
In the wake of Sanders’ move from the top two to the fifth round, the analyst has received plenty of criticism. A recent claim from Miami head coach Mario Cristobal led to a response from Kiper, which led to a response from Sanders’ father, Deion.
Deion Sanders Sends Appreciation Message to Mel Kiper
College football insider Brett McMurphy took to X to report that Cam Ward’s former head coach claimed he spoke to “a million people” about Ward, but not Kiper, suggesting that Kiper didn’t properly do his research.
“Miami’s Mario Cristobal said he spoke ‘to a million people’ about No. 1 NFL draft pick Cam Ward – except one. ‘I can’t recall many NFL teams or TV people I didn’t speak to,’ he posted.
Kiper denied the suggestion on X, claiming he never spoke to Sanders about Ward either. Sanders responded on May 15 to the May 14 exchange between McMurphy and Kiper.
But I Love u my man! You stood on the desk with great balance 10 toes down and said what u doggone said & didn’t flinch. You knew what time it was my man & we’re blessed to be right where God wanted us to be. “With OPPORTUNITY” they forgot I was in the tv/entertainment business… https://t.co/rvZqP30UuA pic.twitter.com/EGzBMQy0FJ
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders)
“But I Love u my man!” Sanders posted. “You stood on the desk with great balance 10 toes down and said what u doggone said & didn’t flinch. You knew what time it was my man & we’re blessed to be right where God wanted us to be. ‘With OPPORTUNITY’ they forgot I was in the tv/entertainment business for 20 years before coaching.”
Sanders suggested that saying what Kiper said about Shedeur took guts. The choice to double down took even more guts. Of course, Sanders’ production was in line with a top-five quarterback prospect, so Kiper had a foundation to lean on with his conclusion.
Sanders’ College Production Leads to Bigger Question
In his final season with the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders led either the Big 12 or the FBS in most throwing categories. He led the FBS in completion percentage and led the Big 12 in completions, attempts, passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per attempt, and others.
Some have pointed to Sanders having unparalleled chemistry with his father, which led him to have the ability to play under game plans perfectly tailored to his skills.
However, one takeaway from the 2025 NFL Draft suggests another factor could have led to Sanders’ rise. Travis Hunter was drafted right on time, if not a little early, going second overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
As such, the result of the draft suggests that Hunter played a key role in Sanders’ FBS-leading season. The 2025 season might be the arena to answer whether Sanders or Hunter was the engine behind their explosive 2024 season. Was it Hunter or Shedeur?