There has been an unspoken sense of conflict between Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. Following the release of EA Sports’ College Football 25 cover, which featured Hunter as one of the stars, there are speculations that Shedeur may be jealous of his friend’s success. This is accentuated by the fact that Shedeur who often engages in online activities with Hunter, is yet to publicly congratulate him on his milestone.

The college football world was sent into a frenzy when Travis Hunter was revealed to be on the cover of the highly anticipated EA game on May 10. This significant recognition has not only elevated his status in the sport but also potentially shifted the dynamics within the Colorado Buffaloes team. Notably, Shedeur, despite being projected as a top 2025 NFL Draft pick and having the highest NIL value among college athletes, was absent from the cover, a fact that may have strained their friendship, as hinted in a recent video.

On the May 26 episode of the Well Off Media show, the fans witnessed an unusual sight for the first time. In almost most of the videos, Hunter and Sanders are seen having a jolly time with each other, but ever since the EA Sports cover came out, there have been fewer interactions between the two.

In the video, Shedeur looked to be by himself while having a playful banter with his father, Deion. Cut to a different scene where Hunter and his teammates admire the lake and take pictures together with Shedeur noticeably missing from the scene. While it might just be that Shedeur had other things to do, he is often a part of all team activities.

Shedeur has not once congratulated Hunter over his monumental milestone, further strengthening the theory of bitter feelings from the QB. He reacted to the trailer by saying “Perfect timing” but did not directly address Hunter or any of the other players after the cover was released, sparking rumors of jealousy.

The situation was also addressed by Rico on his podcast saying he observed that Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are not being as close as they used to be. He said, “I think Shedeur Sanders is jealous. I think he’s upset… that he wasn’t on the cover of EA Sports 2025.” He highlighted that Shedeur and Hunter share a brotherly bond “But let me tell you what I would do if my brother made the cover… I’d be saying congratulations all over social media. And I don’t see that from Shedeur. I haven’t see Shedeur say a single thing publicly.”

The EA Sports College Football 25 cover also featured Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Alabama’s Jalen Mirloe, and Georgia’s Carson Beck were featured on the cover, among others.

There were some eyebrows raised when Sanders was left out of it. In fact, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit, who is in the game, suggested that Sanders would be the cover athlete at one point. With such games, there is always a chance of alternate covers, but so far nothing as such has been reported.

While there might be some underlying envy from Shedeur at the moment, when it comes to Hunter, the WR has clarified that he wants nothing but success for his friend and teammate.

Shedeur receives worthy praise from Travis despite tensions

Travis Hunter is a one-of-a-kind player in the Buffs’ squad. His dual talents as a WR and a cornerback have definitely aided in his glory as one of Colorado’s best. Now that he’s on his way to being a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, he was asked who he thought should be in the race with him, and the first name that came up was Shedeur Sanders. While this was previously speculated to cause the rift too, maybe all is good down in Colorado after all! 

Travis also mentioned the names of Quinn Ewers and Donovan Edwards right after Shedeur in an interview for the BTS of the College Football 25 cover shoot. He was heard talking about what it’s like playing with the QB and under Coach Prime. Shedeur is a great quarterback, undoubtedly, and apparently, he “knows what” Hunter likes to do while also having a great connection.

Thus, the Buffaloes will enter the 2024 season with a friendship that has its share of friction but will probably end up being sidelined when it comes to performing for the Buffs’ overall glory.