Cam Newton went on Friday's edition of ESPN's "First Take" and claimed that Deion Sanders is bigger gem in college football than seven-time national champion head coach Nick Saban.
“Deion Sanders has been the greatest gem in college football, probably bigger than Nick Saban. I said it,” Cam Newton said, per On3. “The culture, what he means to so many different people. The swagger, the bravado. Everything that he just embodies, it’s just Prime.
“As a realist, somebody’s got to put their foot down and just speak facts. I believe in nepotism. I believe that hey, everything that you’re doing, you’ve gotta put your people on. He’s done that."
Interestingly enough, Newton didn't have encouraging words for the entire Sanders family. Shedeur was given skepticism by the former Heisman winner at Auburn and No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in 2011.
“Coach Prime has coached his son Shedeur in rec ball… he coached him in high school. He coached him in college. … My biggest question for Shedeur Sanders is can he be coached by other people outside of his father," Newton said.
Newton claimed last April that Shedeur is not a top-three pick.
"I don’t think he’ll be a Top 4 pick," Newton said.
Meanwhile, Newton shared effusive praise of Shedeur's teammate, Travis Hunter. Newton claimed No. 12 needed to get his Hall of Fame jacket fitted.
“We’ve never seen that happen, and will he play both ways in the NFL? It’s hard to cover a guy like Tyreek Hill and then turn around and get covered by a Jalen Ramsey," Newton said. “Go on and get measured. Get measured for your jacket. Go on and get measured for your gold jacket.”
Shedeur doesn't rock with Newton, but it's unclear if Hunter does. There was a strange interaction involving the three back in September during the UCF game from Orlando, Florida.