You might have expected a lot of things, but never a dad launching a coup against his own son. While the former Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders wrapped up his first day with the press in Indianapolis on Friday, sounding every bit like a player ready to come off the board early in April’s draft, nothing could have prepared him for the ultimate betrayal—one that didn’t come from a rival defender or a skeptical scout, but from the one person he trusts the most.
Dad, Deion Sanders, has spent a lifetime building up his son’s confidence, grooming him for the moment he’d walk across that NFL Draft stage. But on live television, at the NFL Combine, Deion delivered a playful gut punch to his quarterback son. Poor Shedeur stood there, watching in real-time, completely blindsided.
Hilariously though, he’s been singing the praises of Jimmy Horn Jr., his former student and Shedeur’s Colorado teammate. Yeah, the WR who Shedeur hit with 37 passes for a touchdown last year. The moment unfolded when Shedeur was doing what he does best—commanding attention with his presence on the field. Only for Deion Sanders to send a text to Rich Eisen, and the crew on set could barely hold back their laughter. While everyone’s talking NFL draft, Coach Prime’s over here changing up his own rankings. Looks like Shedeur just got a public demotion from his dad.
Horn Jr. ironically standing right next to Shedeur Sanders “delighted” in the clip posted on X. Eisen, read the text aloud, could barely contain himself. “The current list of Deion’s favorite children… and Shedeur said that everybody is his child on the program,” Eisen began, setting the stage. Then came the bombshell. “Well, Deion texted me. Jimmy #1. I mean, literally my phone buzzed as soon as they got off the air. Jimmy number one, it’s the official.” The entire set erupted into laughter, but no one’s reaction was more telling than Shedeur’s, which made it so funny. He shook his head, grinned through the pain, and tried to play it cool.
“It’s all right,” he said, exhaling as if to steady himself. “Yeah, that’s what happens when you’re in Prime’s world, man.” Rich, clearly relishing the moment, doubled down. The crew couldn’t stop laughing at the poised passer that has scouts projecting him as a top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Setting the jokes aside, Shedeur is right, everyone is his favorite, and Coach Prime is everyone’s favorite, more like a father figure. Especially for Jimmy, whose dad, Jimmy Horn Sr., remains incarcerated since November 2021, and Prime has showered all his support since then.
Coach Prime texted Rich Eisen during the Combine that Jimmy Horn Jr. is #1 on his kids rankings and Shedeur is visibly upset pic.twitter.com/87B2B7CvdN
— GUCCE (@gucceCU) March 2, 2025
Horn himself wasn’t exactly thrilled with his Combine performance, particularly his 40-yard dash time of 4.46 seconds. Deion Sanders Jr., via Well Off Media, noted that Horn wasn’t satisfied, hinting that the wideout would “turn up” at Colorado’s Pro Day. If Shedeur was looking for a moment to regain the upper hand, he wasted no time. He reminded everyone that he wouldn’t be participating in the Combine either, electing to showcase his skills at Pro Day instead.
That decision, combined with his projected draft position, made it clear that Shedeur isn’t fazed by public perception. “You think I’m worried about what critics say? You know who my dad is? They hated on him too,” he fired back at the media. “Without people hating, it’s not normal for us.” While Deion had momentarily knocked his son down a peg, there was no mistaking where his real support lay.
Shedeur needed a reminder that nothing comes easy. Even when your father is one of the greatest football minds of all time, he got it in real-time.
Jokes over, as Deion Sanders got fired up over Shedeur Sanders’ presser
This time there was no kidding from the “transformative” Buffs HC. As the junior, Sanders sent a defiant message to teams mulling over whether to draft him in which he boldly stated he was the kind of player who would “change a franchise and culture.” And if not, then he put the notice, “don’t get me.”
NCAA, College League, USA Football: Colorado State at Colorado Sep 16, 2023 Boulder, Colorado, USA Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders 2 walks onto the field prior to the game against the Colorado State Rams at Folsom Field. Boulder Folsom Field Colorado USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAndrewxWeversx 20230916_anw_pl2_0120
That level of confidence isn’t just talk. Shedeur has receipts. At Jackson State, from 6 losing seasons to going 23-3 as QB1 in just 2 seasons. Then in Boulder from 1-11 in 2022 to 9-4 in 2024 (and a Heisman contender). The young QB thrives under pressure and welcomes the challenge. “We went from Jackson State to Colorado and changed two programs back to back,” Sanders said. “So you don’t think I could come to an NFL franchise and change the program again? It’s history. We’ve done it before, and it’s always going to repeat itself.” He played a major role in reviving struggling programs, turning them into competitive teams alongside his father.
“We like adversity. We like everything that comes with the name,” he said. And if there was any doubt about how Deion Sanders felt about his son’s statement? He wasted no time backing him up. The Hall of Famer took to Instagram Stories and dropped a simple yet powerful message: “He Said What He Said.” NFL teams have been put on notice—Shedeur isn’t just showing up to play. He’s coming to lead, to win, and to transform.
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