Being a Sanders in the football world? That’s not just a name; it’s a legacy—and a whole lot of pressure. And Shilo Sanders is weathering that storm, and the only one throwing him a lifeline seems to be his mom, Pilar Sanders. The woman who stood ten toes down for her kids since day one is back at it, showing love when the world—and even Deion Sanders himself—is out here questioning if Shilo’s got what it takes.

On February 16th, over the weekend, Pilar hopped on Instagram with a little message for her son, posting a TikTok of Shilo vibing and chilling to his song, “GLE,” during a weekend trip. The caption? “Go Shilo!!” followed by a bunch of clapping emojis and “Ha Ha Ha’s.” Ain’t gonna lie, never seen Shilo look that happy on the field. It’s the kind of motherly support that screams, “You got this, baby!” Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Deion Sanders, was out here throwing playful but low-key cutthroat shots at their son’s football abilities.

A viral Rivals’ X clip making the rounds showed Coach Prime reacting to old high school footage of Shilo running drills. At first, it was all good—Prime complimented his coverage skills and gave him props for locking down receivers. But then the film cut to Shilo launching a pass, and whew, the whole energy shifted. “Oh, look at how young Shedeur—that’s Shilo!” Prime chuckled before hitting him with the verbal dagger. “You know, when he threw that duck, I told him, ‘Let’s go, it’s over. It’s over. No, no, your brother has it from now on. Leave it alone; you’re not a quarterback. Your brother has it.'”

It was classic Deion: brutally honest but with a grin. And sure, he meant no harm, Deion Sanders’ literally looking out for his son, but let’s be real—it hit different considering the tough spot Shilo’s in right now. See, just a couple of days before, the NFL released its invite list for the 2025 scouting combine, and Shilo Sanders’ name was nowhere to be found in the list of 329 players.

For a guy with the Sanders name, missing out on that combine list was a gut punch. The 25-year-old safety played 19 games over two seasons at Colorado, racking up 122 total tackles, an interception, and a sack. He even put on a solid showing at the Shrine Bowl, leading all defenders in max acceleration and notching five tackles in the game. Yet, somehow, the scouts still ain’t buying in.

Shilo himself ain’t taking the snub lightly. After the Shrine Bowl, Shilo Sanders doubled down.“I showed people today—don’t believe everything you read,” he said. “I can play football. If you say I can’t play football, just watch film.”

But let’s be real, the combine snub means he’s got one last shot: Colorado’s Pro Day. If he doesn’t go off there, his NFL dreams might come down to a late-round pick or even worse—going undrafted and fighting for a roster spot.

Coach Prime has been throwing strays at Shilo Sanders for years

One thing about Deion Sanders—he doesn’t do free passes, not even for his own blood. Remember that Kansas State game last season? Colorado lost 31-28, and Kansas State’s offense had a field day. Shilo? He got caught lacking on more than one occasion. DJ Giddens ran circles around him, breaking tackles, and making Shilo look like a JUCO backup DB. And after the game?

Coach Prime didn’t hold back. “I thought he played horrible,” Deion said. “I thought he was rusty… thought he didn’t have his footing… thought he wasn’t breaking down.” Yeah, he threw in a little vote of confidence at the end—“He’s gonna do better. I know what he has in him.”—but the message was clear: The standard is the standard, and right now, Shilo ain’t meeting it.

And if that wasn’t enough, the “Coach Prime” docuseries on Amazon pulled back the curtain even more. One scene? Defensive coordinator Robert Livingston straight-up yelling at Shilo. “Shilo, you’re killing yourself!” That’s not coach talk for ‘You’re doing great, buddy.’ That’s a warning shot.

So here we are. No Combine invite. A shaky senior season. One last chance to prove he belongs at Colorado’s Pro Day. According to Pro Football Focus, Shilo sits at No. 235 in the rankings—borderline draftable. Some say the Sanders name alone will get him a shot in the league, but Deion ain’t exactly making it easy on him. Will he prove the doubters wrong? Will he silence Coach Prime’s tough love critiques? We’re about to find out. But one thing’s for sure—Pilar Sanders is gonna be in his corner for whatever comes.