Is Shilo Sanders Playing Today vs UCLA? Colorado Safety's status explored

Shilo Sanders and Colorado will look to shake off their horrible loss against the Stanford Cardinal as they take on UCLA on Saturday, Oct. 28.

The Colorado Buffaloes (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) are coming off an open week. Meanwhile, the No. 23 UCLA Bruins (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12) won 42-7 against the Cardinal in Week 8.

The Week 9 matchup kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ABC.

As the team builds up for this crucial game, one key player to watch is defensive safety Shilo Sanders. Shilo, the middle son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, encountered an injury earlier this season.

It was specifically a kidney scar that he picked up against the Oregon Ducks on Sept. 23. As a result, he had to miss Week 5’s Pac-12 matchup against the USC Trojans.

Even though Shilo Sanders returned to practice within 10 days, there’s always an underlying concern about such internal organ injuries. However, Sanders is fully fit and will lead the charge for Colorado’s defensive commitments against UCLA.

With both Sanders and Travis Hunter expected to be on the field, Colorado's defense is ready to make a strong showing against the Bruins. The team must focus on executing its defensive strategy to counter UCLA's short passing attack effectively.

Colorado's coaching staff, led by defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and the legendary Deion 'Coach Prime' Sanders, will be crucial in keeping the team disciplined and on course.

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Shilo Sanders defends father Deion Sanders

Shilo Sanders spoke against the criticism directed at his father by Colorado State coach Jay Norvell. The Rams coach had some critical words about Deion Sanders, and Shilo was puzzled as to why other coaches take a jibe at his father.

During an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," Shilo expressed his frustration and said:

"Why do they do that? They just make it worse. We was actually just talking about that. Some of the receivers and my dad was over there, and I overheard them talking about that, and I was like, 'What did he say?'"

Shilo revealed that he was discussing this particular issue of unwarranted scrutiny with his dad. He firmly believes that "Coach Prime is a cool guy" and that there's no need for coaches to be so critical.

Before the Week 3 game against the Rams, Norvell had criticized Deion Sanders for wearing his customary sunglasses, hat and gold chain when meeting reporters.

“I sat down with ESPN today. And I don't care if they hear it in Boulder,” Norvell said. “I told them, 'I took my hat off, and I took my glasses off.' And I said, 'When I talk to grownups, I take my hat and my glasses off.' That's what my mother taught me. They're not going to like us no matter what we say or do. It doesn't matter. So, let's go up there and play.”

Shilo Sanders will be a key player in the Buffloes' arsenal against UCLA. Colorado tends to switch off after taking the lead early in the game. This happened when they let go of a 29-0 first-half lead against the Stanford Cardinal in Week 7. Looks like they get a bit of "relief syndrome" that Nick Saban talked about recently.