By james art 
Arizona defensive back Takario Davis, left, tackles Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter during Saturday’s game in Tucson. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
Coach Deion Sanders watched as Colorado cruised to a 34-7 victory over the Arizona Wildcats to improve their record to 5-2. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
TUCSON – The Arizona Wildcats vs. Colorado Buffaloes and Deion Sanders in Tucson quickly turned into a lopsided Saturday, but for NFL fans watching, the game featured a surplus of names expected to be called in the 2025 draft.
From the two teams, five projected first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft took the field at Arizona Stadium, according to ESPN’s latest mock draft.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona offensive lineman Jonah Savaineea and Arizona defensive back Takario Davis squared off against Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter and quarterback Shedear Sanders.
Hunter covered McMillan early and limited the 6-foot-5 receiver to two receptions for 15 yards through the first 30 minutes of play.
On the other side of the ball, Davis faced Hunter and held him to just two catches for 17 yards. However, Hunter intercepted a defensive pass by Davis in the end zone – which set Colorado up for a first-quarter goal-line touchdown.
Asked about Buffalo’s star players and whether they affected his team mentally in the 34-7 loss, Arizona coach Brent Brennan was open about their play.
“Honestly, I think it was just 100 percent Colorado coming after us,” Brennan said after the game. “I think they played better than us today and that’s why I say I have to fix this thing because what we performed today was not good enough.”
Hunter, a Heisman Trophy contender, sat out the entire second half as a precaution after reportedly aggravating a right shoulder injury he suffered the previous week against Kansas State.
“Travis wanted to play, I don’t know if he was 100 percent ready, but half of Travis is one piece of somebody,” Deion Sanders said. “It affects us on both sides of the ball, but he went out there, showed a face and tried to do his best to do what he’s capable of.”
The Wildcats’ defense forced Schedeur to throw two interceptions for the first time in his collegiate career, but the projected top-5 draft pick didn’t let that deter him.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders totaled over 250 yards and three touchdowns in a dominant 34-7 win over Arizona. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
In seven games this season, Schedeur has thrown for 2,268 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has completed 72.2 percent of his passes – which ranks as the highest in all of college football among quarterbacks with at least 250 pass attempts.
“Overall, I’m just focused on winning,” said Schedeur, who completed 70 percent of his 33 pass attempts and threw for three total touchdowns in Saturday’s win. “We’re going to clear those (turnovers), watch film during the week and discuss everything.”
17 NFL scouts from 12 teams reportedly attended the game to watch these future draft picks, according to FOX.
Arizona has only had one NFL first-round selection in the last 15 years and now has an opportunity to triple that number in April.
The Wildcats’ only Day One selection in the past 15 years came earlier this year when the Green Bay Packers took offensive lineman Jordan Morgan with the 25th overall pick. Morgan was named first-team All-Pac-12 during his senior season and played a significant role in Arizona’s most successful season in a decade.
Before Morgan, the program’s last first-round selection was in 2008, when the Los Angeles Chargers took defensive end Antoine Cason with the 27th overall pick.
Colorado, on the other hand, has only had two first-rounders in the last 20 years. Buffalo offensive lineman Nate Soldier and defensive back Jimmy Smith were selected in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Soldier played for 10 years and won two Super Bowls (2014 and 2016) starting for the New England Patriots. Smith played for the Baltimore Ravens for 11 seasons and also won a Super Bowl (2012) with the team.
While both teams lack deep draft picks, that will likely change in April.
The projected first-rounders impressed during the 2024 college football season, looking ready for the next level, and they will look to improve their draft stock this weekend.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who completed Saturday’s 34-7 loss against Colorado, scrambled for extra yards after the catch. (Photo courtesy of Gilbert Alcaraz/AllSportsTucson)
Buffalo (5-2, 3-1), who face Cincinnati at home on Saturday, are now one win away from a bowl appearance, but their focus is on the expanded College Football Playoff as the sixth-best team in the Big 12 ranking.
“We’re not what we were, but we’re certainly not where we want to be,” Deion added.
Arizona (3-4, 1-3), by contrast, has lost three straight and desperately needs a win at home against West Virginia (3-4, 2-2) to turn things around.
After being limited to a touchdown against the Buffaloes, the Wildcats have scored under 20 points in three of their seven games this season.
Asked how confident he is that the offensive issues can be fixed this season, Brennan remained optimistic.
“I think there is still a lot of football to be played. Some of the things were complicated, it was a bit of a revolving door as to who was available on game day,” he said. “I’m the head football coach, my job is to fix us.”
They have a chance to get it right against a Mountaineer team that is coming off back-to-back double-digit losses against top-25 ranked teams.
It will be the first matchup between the two programs in history.
“That’s a good (West Virginia) football team,” Brennan said Monday. “Every week in this conference, if you don’t show up ready to play, somebody’s going to come after you.”