BOULDER — At every Colorado practice, Shedeur Sanders can look over to the defensive sideline and see his brother, Shilo.
Fellow quarterback Destin Wade can do the same and find his twin brother, defensive end Keaten. The same goes for running back Brandon Hood and his older brother, cornerback Colton. And wide receiver LaJohntay Wester, who sees his younger brother, linebacker Jaylen.
All told, there are six sets of siblings on the 2024 Buffaloes roster. No team in the country has more. Deion Sanders has painted his era as a family affair since he was hired in December 2022, but his latest team takes the term “brotherhood” to the next level.
“It’s actually really different,” LaJohntay Wester told The Denver Gazette. “This is my first time being around a team with so much immediate family. I think it just brings us really closer. We’re overly protective of each other. That just makes us fight harder, especially when you know your brother is playing alongside me.”
LaJohntay and Jaylen transferred to CU after spending the last two years together at Florida Atlantic. Destin and Keaten Wade came to the Buffs from Kentucky. Colton and Brandon Hood committed together in the spring — Colton as a transfer from Auburn and Brandon as a three-star running back from the Georgia high school ranks.
Coach Prime didn’t plan on it, but he’s created a unique situation in his latest resetting of the Buffs’ roster.
“We want all of the young men, regardless of their ethnicity, to understand it’s truly a brotherhood,” Deion said. “We just happen to have six (sets of) siblings on the team, which is a blessing (and) unbelievable. It’s not like we target that and try to bring it in, but oftentimes, one of those kids can really play and then we find out that the sibling can really play as well. To create that type of brotherhood and environment, we just invite them both to play for us. That’s a blessing, it really is.”
The result is something closer to a high school locker room than a college one with the amount of close relationships that pre-date their time in Boulder.
“That’s a great way to explain it, actually,” Colton Hood told The Denver Gazette. “In high school, you grew up with everybody and everybody’s close. That’s kinda how our locker room is. A lot of people think that because we’ve got a whole bunch of transfers that that’s not how it would be, but they’re wrong.
"Everybody is close. We always have fun. Everybody’s cracking jokes. I feel like that’s a really big part of our team.”
It’s especially meaningful for the Hood brothers, who played together for three years at Eagles Landing Christian Academy south of Atlanta but had their most recent season together in 2022 cut short by an injury to Brandon.
“Him coming here (with me) and being 100% healthy, I feel like getting to play with him is really a blessing,” Colton said. “There ain’t too many people out there that get to play college football at the highest level with their brother. If I see him slacking in an area, I can let him know. If he sees me slacking, he’ll let me know.”
There is certainly an added level of accountability that comes with having your brother alongside you at every offseason workout, practice session and team meeting.
“I kinda talk trash to him,” Colton said with a laugh. “I tell him, ‘Y’all boys ain’t going to get nothing today.’ Sometimes they’ll get us and he’ll come back at me with it. It’s a lot of fun just seeing your brother out there.”
Several of them will have the chance to continue playing together with the Buffs for years. But for some, like Shedeur and Shilo — the most famous siblings in college football — it’s the culmination of over a decade growing up playing together. Shedeur hasn’t known a college football season without his big brother. Now they head into their final season together.
“Who knows, we may be on the same team next year,” Shedeur said with a smile.
If this is the final ride for the Sanders brothers, they have teammates in the locker room who can relate to the importance this season holds.
“We’re both pursuing the dreams that we set as little kids,” LaJohntay Wester said. “It’s really great.”
2024 Colorado record prediction
King’s pick: 7-5
With the betting markets setting the win total for Coach Prime’s team at 5.5, seven wins would technically qualify as a success. But would it for anyone in Boulder? Probably not. The nonconference schedule is difficult again, and the Buffs will see hungry rivals in both Lincoln and Fort Collins. It’s hard to see them coming away with a win in both of those games. The Big 12 schedule isn’t as difficult as last year’s Pac-12 and CU gets some of the toughest opponents at home, which should lead to a winning record in conference play.
Full 2024 CU Buffs schedule
Week 1: vs. North Dakota State (Thursday, 6 p.m., ESPN)
Week 2: at Nebraska (Saturday, Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m., NBC)
Week 3: at Colorado State (Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m., CBS)
Week 4: vs. Baylor (Sept. 21)
Week 5: at Central Florida (Sept. 28)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: vs. Kansas State (Oct. 12)
Week 8: at Arizona (Oct. 19)
Week 9: vs. Cincinnati (Oct. 26)
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: at Texas Tech (Nov. 9)
Week 12: vs. Utah (Nov. 16)
Week 13: at Kansas (Nov. 23 at Arrowhead Stadium)
Week 14: vs. Oklahoma State (Fri. Nov. 29, 10 a.m., ABC)
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