There’s no shame in Deion Sanders Jr. defending his own. The man behind WELLOFF Media House—the silent film chronicler of Colorado Buffs football—might not talk much in his videos while capturing Deion Sanders and his sons’ heroics. But when his brother is under fire, the silence turns to smoke. And right now, Deion Sanders Jr. is stepping in once again. This time he had to come to the Buffs #21 DB, Shilo Sanders, defense again after a week of controversies surrounding him ‘tanking’ his draft stocks. It started with game footage that quickly spiraled into a storm.

As the East-West Shrine Bowl wrapped up, social media was flooded with clips of Shilo Sanders struggling in one-on-one coverage during practice sessions. Initially, sports media personality Dov Kleiman was among the voices pushing the narrative that the former Buffs’ safety was “getting exposed,” and that his “draft stock is tanking.” The clip quickly went viral, sparking debate. Deion Sanders Jr. wasn’t having it, firing back on X, calling Kleiman’s post “🧢.. yall funny as hell”—essentially calling it a lie. As the takes piled up, Shilo himself was asked about it, and his response? A comparison that sent the internet into a frenzy.

The CU graduate compared himself to the newly elected 47 POTUS, Donald Trump. The story was made and reported by On3’s writer Matt Connolly, where Sanders Jr. on X gave a 5-word response for his narrative.

“If you just hate me, or you want to hate me… paint me in a bad picture, they do that to our President, they do that to everybody, you know. So, I’m not going to be safe from it,” Shilo Sanders said. “But it does get aggravating whenever you’re putting in work and you’re working on your craft and people are just steadily destroying you.” That was all he needed to see. The eldest of Coach Prime’s sons wasted no time clapping back at the media’s portrayal of his younger brother. In a direct shot at Connolly’s piece, he said, “Y’all are sick in the head,” protecting his half-brother.

And while the clips showed some tough reps, the game itself told a different story. Shilo played well despite the West team’s brutal 25-0 loss to the East. He finished second on the team with five tackles and even added a pass breakup. But the scoreboard was all people cared about. One that made it seem like Shilo’s week had been nothing but losses.

He wasn’t fazed. “I just care about what the scouts think, I care about what Coach Prime thinks and my family thinks,” Shilo said, focused on getting an opportunity in the NFL and what he can do. “And I’ve got a good circle around me, so I really don’t let that stuff affect me.” What the 6-foot, 195-pound Canton native probably meant is that the haters and the internet keyboard warriors and personal and professional saboteurs are real.

The criticism won’t stop just because the Shrine Bowl is over. From now until April’s NFL Draft Day. Shilo knows this. His father, Deion Sanders, the most polarizing figure in the game, had one simple piece of advice for his son: “Don’t believe nothing they say right now.” That’s the reality of being a Sanders.

Shilo Sanders is a hybrid LB potential, not a DB problem

As the 2025 NFL Draft approaches, Shilo Sanders—son of HOF Deion Sanders—has been catching some heat. Clips from the East-West Shrine Bowl have made the rounds, with critics questioning his coverage skills. But here’s the thing: he’s not supposed to be a lockdown corner.

Shilo’s game isn’t about sticking to shifty slot receivers or playing deep safety in a Cover 1 look. That’s just not his role. He’s built to be a physical presence in the box, matching up against tight ends and running backs rather than chasing speedsters downfield. And honestly, don’t be shocked if an NFL team sees him as more of a hybrid linebacker than a pure safety.

Although he started all 11 games in 2024 and made 67 tackles and 1 FF, he’s not going in the first round, and he’s probably not cracking the top 100 picks. But let’s not act like he’s some afterthought. Shilo brings toughness, physicality, and NFL bloodlines that scouts love. When Day 3 rolls around, expect his name to be called.