Colorado’s top NFL draft prospects, QB Shedeur Sanders and WR/DB Travis Hunter, are expected to play in a bowl game, coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday.

Sanders raised the possibility that the duo could follow the recent trend of sitting out a bowl game to protect themselves from possible injuries before the NFL Draft and was asked if Friday’s home game against Oklahoma State would be the last time could be that they face Colorado.

“No, it’s not the last time you’ll see her in a Buffs uniform,” Sanders said. “These two and all of the other seniors have done a great job of getting us to where we are and have created so much anticipation in our fan base and ourselves.”

“So we’re going to fight and try to go out there, kick some people’s butt and end this thing on the right note. And we’re going to go into a bowl game on the right note about this because our fans deserve the absolute best.”

Colorado’s loss to Kansas on Saturday was a significant blow to the Buffaloes’ Big 12 title chances. Even if Colorado beats Oklahoma State, it will likely take at least two combined losses this week between Arizona State, BYU and Iowa State to clinch the title game to reach.

In ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller’s latest mock draft, he projected Sanders as the No. 1 overall pick and Hunter as the No. 2 pick.

Coach Sanders also took time on Tuesday to express his displeasure that Hunter was not named a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defender in college football.

“How does Travis Hunter get rejected from the Jim Thorpe Award?” Sanders said. “You could have my award, you could have it back. In fact, I’ll give him my It’s not the most idiotic thing in college football that he’s not a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, and I would say he is – I guess I would say, but I don’t think it is There really is an argument about this young man being the best defensive back in college football.”

Sanders won the Thorpe Award as a senior at Florida State University in 1988.

“I don’t know how in the world Travis Hunter can’t be a finalist for the Jim Thorpe Award,” he said. “They just pretty much messed up the integrity of the award and he could have mine, whoever votes down there, whoever brings it home. Thanks because I don’t even want mine right now.”