Deion Sanders Looks To Freshman Receivers From Texas To Fill Travis Hunter Void

Opposing defensive backs facing the Colorado Buffaloes this season will meet freshman wide receivers Quanell X Farrakhan Jr. and Quentin Gibson.

Both have arrived in Boulder after dynamic tenures in the grueling Texas high school ecosystem. With Colorado facing uncertainty at the receivers position without Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, the pair is poised to break through early and often.

Deion Sanders Looks To Freshman To Fill Travis Hunter Void

Oct 19, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Colorado Buffalos head coach Deion Sanders (right) with wide receivers coach Jason Phillips against the Arizona Wildcats at Arizona Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Farrakhan's well-rounded versatility while at North Shore (Houston) and Gibson's mind-boggling speed at North Crowley (Fort Worth) stand out. However, both newcomers must earn the trust necessary to put that skill on display.

And for the Buffaloes under coach Deion Sanders, faith isn't ageist. "Coach Prime" expects much from his freshmen and has a long list of those favors being repaid.

Colorado wide receivers coach Jason Phillips seconds that proposition. On Tuesday, he expressed faith in the freshmen of his room to make a difference both now and later.

"There's no such thing as freshmen being freshmen here," Phillips told reporters. "Obviously, the way we recruit, the mantra that Coach Prime [has is] when we recruit a freshman, bring him in, we expect them to play. So that's maturity level too, they've got to understand the expectation and what the other guys standing in the room [are expected of], and they've got to beat that expectation.

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"Every freshman we've brought in here so far will have the opportunity to play, so we've got to get those guys ready to play immediately," Phillips continued.

Gibson Needs Growth

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Quentin Gibson (15) during the spring game at Folsom Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

While Gibson and Farrakhan will have flexible roles in 2025, they're far from taking charge of the room. Last week, special teams coordinator Michael Pollack stressed that while Gibson is in hot pursuit of kick and punt returner spots, Colorado plans to ease him into a digestible role.

Gibson has electric history as a returner but is significantly undersized at 5-9 and 165 pounds, marks that limited his recruitment. Coach Prime will have a healthy say in the matter as well.

Farrakhan could also see time on special teams, dominating the return game throughout high school and touting an impressive frame that's aided prospective quarterbacks Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis throughout fall camp.

Billy Beane, Meet Coach Prime

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Quanell Farrakhan Jr. (14) and cornerback Ben Bouzi (39) during the spring game at Folsom Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Those signal callers may not be afforded the same Sunday-ready receivers that quarterback Shedeur Sanders had in 2024, but a variety of skillsets will be at hand. In a Moneyball-esque plot, Phillips acknowledged that while there will never be another Travis Hunter, LaJohntay Wester, Jimmy Horn Jr. or Will Sheppard, Colorado can recreate them.

"Right now, I feel comfortable with eight to probably 11 guys," Phillips said. "I'm really comfortable with that. A lot of people have asked this question, 'How do you replace the guys that left?'. . . You don't replace those guys, but what we can do is replace the production.

"So I think if we got enough players in that room that I feel comfortable with in playing, that we can probably get close to or surpass the production we had last year," Phillips said.