Is EA Sports’ College Football 25 cover driving a wedge in the Travis Hunter-Shedeur Sanders friendship? Well, nothing has been said clearly to indicate that, but there may have been subtle hints. First there was Shedeur’s public silence when the cover for the game didn’t feature him but had other players including Hunter. Then there was the recent Well Off Media video, that sparked some rumors and now Coach Prime’s recent act may only fuel the speculation.

Hunter and Shedeur have been really tight and often had each other’s back. But the cover release of EA Sports College Football 25, may have sparked a sense of jealousy in Deion Sanders’ son. The cover features Texas’ Quinn Ewers, Alabama’s Jalen Mirloe, and Georgia’s Carson Beck and Travis Hunter. Despite his projection as a top NFL 2025 Draft pick, Shedeur has been left out which may have led to some envy.

Coach Prime’s strategy to elevate Shedeur amid his EA Sports cover disappointment

Shedeur was left behind from the cover but still posted about the game. However, he did not address any of the athletes on the cover including his own teammate Hunter. Both Hunter and Shedeur have been projected to make it big in next year’s draft and it can be argued that the two-way star’s stock may have risen due to him featuring on the college football game’s cover.

However, when it came to addressing the new Buffs roster, Coach Prime thought it would be better to give the first chance to his son rather than the College Football 25’s cover athlete.

Deion Sanders choosing to endorse his son at a time when Hunter is in the spotlight is telling. For his part, Shedeur did the honors by sharing his secret mantra with the players: “The first word is smart. We go to be able to make smart decisions on and off the field. We got to be able to count on each other and know we’re going to do the right thing.”

Interestingly, the list of players that featured on the screen also included Hunter, but he was pushed way down in the order.

Nothing goes unnoticed by the Buffs fans, and the speculated ongoing cold war between Shedeur and Hunter did not surpass the critical eyes of the fanatics. When EA Sports came up with the trailer, knowing very well that he missed out on the grand opportunity, the quarterback shared the trailer on his Instagram story. But it was found that in his story, Shedeur (presumably unconsciously) omitted the part that had Hunter in it.

However, the story goes deeper than that. In the latest Well Off Media video, both Shedeur and Hunter are featured, but the pair is not seen together. While Shedeur was seen with his dad in an earlier part of the video, Hunter is near the lake with some of his teammates. The Buffs were enjoying at a lake with Shedeur noticeably missing, adding fuel to the fire of the rumors.

Even on the Rico Knows podcast, the host addressed these rumors and believed that there may actually be some friction at least from Shedeur’s end. He said, “I think Shedeur Sanders is jealous. I think he’s upset… that he wasn’t on the cover of EA Sports 2025.” The duo have often been identified as close friends but Rico said that Sanders not publicly celebrating nor congratulating his friend on his milestone may hint at some envy.

“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,” he added.

This alleged rift seems to intensifying also because both Shedeur and Travis are being pitted against each other for the upcoming Heisman Trophy title and the draft.

Chances seem positive for Hunter over Shedeur, as per the mock draft

The famed analyst Chris Trapasso dropped his mock draft on May 24. To everyone’s surprise, the mock draft shows Shedeur will not reach the top of the list. Even though the Buffs’ quarterback sensation will land ahead of Quinn “Mullet Mahomes” Ewers, it is not enough for Shedeur to celebrate. The reason is that the two-way phenom, Hunter, is expected to land ahead of Shedeur in the 2025 NFL draft. All of this after Deion Sanders claimed that he will be a top 5 pick, might not sit well with the QB. 

As put forward by Dan Brugler, The Athletic draft analyst, Hunter is predicted to be the first Buff off the board at No. 9 overall to the New Orleans Saints. He further speculates Sanders may have to wait a bit longer to hear his name called. “Despite all the hype (including being the betting favorite to go No. 1 in 2025), Sanders wouldn’t be a lock first-rounder if the draft were held tomorrow,” claimed the analyst.

While Hunter seems to have an edge in the 2025 NFL draft over Shedeur, the quarterback still has something to flaunt. It will take Hunter a long time to catch up with Shedeur’s position at the top NIL valuation rankings. It’s all about balance, after all! While both have not commented on the alleged beef, fans are on the edge waiting to see what happens next.