Deion Sanders Jr. Makes Blunt Admission After Colorado Goes Unranked in AP Poll

Deion Sanders Jr. Makes Blunt Admission After Colorado Goes Unranked in AP Poll originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Colorado Buffaloes head into Year 3 under Deion Sanders, aiming to continue their upward climb. Sanders inherited a 1–11 team when he was hired, turned it into a 4–8 squad in his first season and then led the Buffaloes to a 9-4 record in 2024.

All eyes are on the season opener, when Colorado hosts the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Friday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. In the meantime, the AP released its Top 25 rankings on Monday — and the Buffaloes were left out. They did, however, receive one vote.

After the poll came out, Deion Sanders' son, Deion Sanders Jr., took to social media to admit the Buffaloes didn't expect to be ranked.

"I don’t think anybody over here expected to be ranked," Deion Sanders Jr. said.

I don’t think anybody over here expected to be ranked https://t.co/G0znXoVBse

— Deion Sanders Jr (@DeionSandersJr) August 12, 2025

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter Left for the NFL

The Buffaloes being left out of the Top 25 was no surprise, given they lost their two most productive players from a season ago in wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.

Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars, recorded 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns as a receiver, while also adding 35 tackles, 11 passes defended, one forced fumble and four interceptions as a cornerback.

Sanders, the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award winner and fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns, threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Quarterback Battle

Deion Sanders has yet to name a starting quarterback for the 2025 college football season, with two players in contention for the job: Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis.

"Both these guys can play," Deion Sanders said. "We can play well with either one of them."

Salter, a transfer from the Liberty Flames, spent four seasons there, winning the Conference USA Championship Game MVP in 2023 and being named the Conference USA MVP that same season.

Lewis, on the other hand, is a true freshman who was rated as a four-star recruit and the 126th-best prospect in the class of 2025.

Related: Deion Sanders, Colorado Land Overlooked 3-Star OL On Saturday

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 12, 2025, where it first appeared.