Former Colorado stars in Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Travis Hunter found each other again after Cleveland's game at Jacksonville, grabbed shoulders, and smiled while cameras surrounded them.
The clip that circulated lasted only a few seconds, but Colorado fans had seen those pictures before. The Sunday reunion is the news peg, but the story behind it belongs in Boulder, where their friendship became one of the defining relationships of the first two seasons under Colorado coach Deion Sanders.
Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) with wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Former Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter had already made history before his stint at Boulder. He was the top prospect in the 2022 recruiting class and became the first five-star high school prospect to sign with an FCS program since ESPN began its rankings in 2006, when he chose Jackson State.
Former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders was already Jackson State's quarterback, and per Sports Illustrated , the two had forged a tight bond only months after Hunter arrived. Shedeur explained it simply at the time.
"We understand each other; we both had similar situations," Shedeur said at the time.
When Deion Sanders accepted the Colorado job in December 2022, both players entered the transfer portal after Jackson State's season. Colorado announced Shedeur and Hunter as part of its early signing class on Dec. 21.
The friendship did not begin in Boulder, though, but Colorado is where it really became impossible to separate from the program's rise.
Former Colorado teammates, Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12), left, and Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) joke after the game of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The first season was not a smooth one. Hunter missed three games after suffering a lacerated liver against Colorado State, while Shedeur played behind an offensive line that allowed 52 sacks. The Buffaloes finished 4-8.
A year later, the same two players were at the center of a 9-4 season and an Alamo Bowl trip. Shedeur finished his Colorado career with 7,364 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions across 24 games. He won the 2024 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award. Hunter became Colorado's second Heisman Trophy winner while playing full-time at wide receiver and cornerback.
Those awards belong to them individually. Their Colorado story was shared very much more often. They were together on sidelines, in postgame celebrations, and in nearly every conversation about the players driving Deion Sanders' rebuild at the time.
One of the more revealing details about their Colorado years surfaces much later.
Deion Sanders Jr. said Shedeur used part of his own NIL earnings to help fund opportunities for teammates. Reporting around the same time said Hunter did the same, and former Colorado wide receiver LaJohntay Wester later publicly thanked both players.
"Shedeur Sanders was spending his check helping pay other people's NILs," Sanders Jr. said.
The exact financial structure, however, was never made public, so there is no reason to turn it into a dollar figure. But the useful part here is what it says about the two stars inside Colorado's locker room. The players receiving the most attention were also helping create opportunities for teammates who did not have access.
Indianapolis Colts linebacker Tahj Chambers (44) tackles Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester (10) on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Colorado made their connection permanent at the 2025 spring game.
Before the scrimmage at Folsom Field, the program retired Shedeur's No. 2 and Hunter's No. 12 in the same ceremony . Their plaques were unveiled together beside Colorado's other retired numbers.
The timing for their two years in Boulder. Shedeur had rewritten Colorado's passing record book. Hunter had won the Heisman. Together they helped take a program coming off a one-win season to a nine-win finish in their second year.
The 'brief reunion' we saw on Sunday brought those beautiful memories back for a few seconds. Folsom Field keeps the longer version, though. And their infamous shirt numbers remain retired together, plus no Colorado player will wear either number ever again.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/colorado as Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter Share Viral NFL Reunion .
