Will Shilo Sanders go on the record about injury and bankruptcy at Big 12 Media Day?
Next week’s Big 12 football media days will be the first time Deion Sanders will represent Colorado at an event for the conference. He'll be joined by four players in Las Vegas, including both of his sons, Shilo and Shedeur Sanders, along with Travis Hunter and Mark Vassett, per an announcement on Monday.
There will be representatives from all Big 12 teams who are scheduled to meet with the media at Allegiant Stadium during the two-day event from June 9-10. Colorado will be the first school up on the big stage. While many people will be asking Coach Prime an array of questions, the biggest headlines this offseason have been focused around Shilo Sanders.
Reppin' the Buffs at @Big12Conference media days: @DeionSanders @ShedeurSanders @TravisHunterJr @ShiloSanders @markvassett #GoBuffs 🦬 pic.twitter.com/LoLFL4JaMT
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) July 1, 2024
From suffering an injury that required surgery on his left shoulder to filing for bankruptcy to absolve an $11.8 million judgement, the news hasn't been good lately for Coach Prime's middle son. Will he address either one of these issues, or is it "business as usual" for Sanders? BuffsBeat broke the news of Shilo's surgery after he was wearing a brace during CU's Spring Game in late April. While he has kept up appearances to make it seem like he's out there on the practice field, the reality is he hasn't taken any contact or participated in drills.
Sanders is not 100 percent right now. He has reportedly told people close to him that he's shooting to be ready for Colorado's opener against North Dakota State on August 29. We'll see if that happens or not.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle for Sanders (outside of being fully healthy) is the bankruptcy trail that's expected to heat up soon. The outstanding multi-million dollar debt was leveled by a Texas court after a security guard by the name of John Darjean claimed Sanders rendered him with severe and permanent injuries, including "neurological injuries and damage to his cervical spine," when Sanders was 15 years old. The process was delayed by Sanders and his attorneys and he was eventually a no-show for court, forcing a default judgement being placed against him in May 2022 by a Dallas County judge.
Sanders isn't expected to comment publicly due to the nature of the case. However, he "can't wait" to tell his side of the story, according to his attorneys who recently talked to CBS Sports. This will be the first time Shilo will face the media since either story surfaced.
With Sanders out, the Buffs secondary looks for replacements to fill the void. Transfers Savion Riley and Herman Smith will likely help strengthen those efforts, along with Travis Jay entering his final collegiate season.
JOSH TOLLE