BOULDER — No. 2 and No. 12 are now officially part of the Folsom Field facade. And officially out of circulation.
The CU Buffs retired the jerseys of recent stars Travis Hunter (12), the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, and former quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2), during a short ceremony before the 2025 spring game at Folsom Field.
The numbers are the fifth and sixth to be retired in CU football history, and the first since Rashaan Salaam’s No. 19 in October 2017.
The Buffs did not retire any former players’ jerseys between 1971-2016.
CU played for two national titles during that span (1989 and ’90), winning one (1990). No one from those teams has ever had their jerseys formally retired by CU, and several Buffs football alums voiced concern and confusion earlier this week over the timing of the dual Sanders/Hunter honor.
“But all that (criticism), I don’t know about that, because somebody’s going to get sensitive,” CU football coach Deion Sanders said Thursday when asked about the response. “I have some dear friends. I know (ex-Buffs QB) Kordell (Stewart) and (former CU wideout Michael) Westbrook is my guy. We had a great talk the other night. Who else? Several guys — especially that whole lineage of corners that were great here.
“So, it’s good. It’s good. I wish I could just shake … can we start off with me just shaking everyone’s hand that played (here) before? Just giving them a hug, right? They’ve got to come back for that, right? Let’s start with that. Let’s start off right there. That’s what I want to do.”
Shedeur watched from midfield as a black curtain was removed to show his number on the east side of the stadium. While a short video of his highlights played on the end zone scoreboard, the quarterback and son of CU coach Deion Sanders waved for applause.
When Hunter’s number was revealed, he smiled from the 50-yard line and flexed both muscles.
Hunter’s 12 will sit to the far left, opposite the view from Folsom’s press box, next to No. 11, Bobby Anderson. The younger Sanders’ No. 2 is stationed to the farthest right, outside of the No. 67 worn by former CU lineman Joe Romig.
Both players are expected to be taken in the first round of the NFL draft later this month. Hunter, who wants to play both cornerback and wide receiver as a pro, should be picked within the first five selections. Sanders is likely to be the second or third quarterback taken off the board.
Hunter became the program’s second Heisman winner last fall after a junior season in which the two-way star caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense while breaking up 11 passes and intercepting four on defense.
Over 24 games as a starter, the younger Sanders completed 651 of 907 (71.8%) passes for 7,364 yards, 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He broke more than 100 school records, despite playing only two seasons in Boulder. No. 2 is the Buffs’ all-time passing touchdown leader (64, topping Cody Hawkins’ 63) and finished third in passing yards, third in completions and fifth in attempts.
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