Shilo Sanders faces questions about his NIL deals amid bankruptcy dispute

Sep 16, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (21) runs for a touchdown after making an interception against the Colorado State Rams during the first half at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado safety Shilo Sanders, son of head coach Deion Sanders, is facing some questions about his NIL deals amid a bankruptcy case stemming from a 2022 lawsuit.

Shilo was sued by John Darjean, a former security guard at Focus Academies in Dallas, over an incident in 2015 when Sanders allegedly attacked Darjean during a disciplinary incident. A 2022 trial found Sanders liable for assault and battery, and he was ordered to pay $11.89 in damages to Darjean.

Sanders filed for bankruptcy in 2023 and claimed $320,477 in assets, leading Darjean to question whether Sanders was presenting an accurate picture of his assets, via Catie Cheshire of Westword. Among Darjean’s objections: Sanders has publicly posted NIL partnerships with brands such as Kentucky Fried Chicken, TurboTax, and Oikos yogurt, none of which are mentioned in Sanders’ filing.

“The entire underpinning of the NIL concept is the value of the individual athlete, but Shilo chose not only to hide the value of the entire NIL endeavor with the ‘unknown’ listings for the two of the entities that were disclosed (Big 21 LLC and/or SS21 LLC), but Shilo intentionally failed to identify and disclose his individual NIL property interest anywhere in the schedules,” Darjean’s filing states.

One of the draws of Deion Sanders’ Colorado program is the visibility and income that can come with being a part of it. Shilo’s lack of clarity regarding his earnings might raise some questions about that pitch.

The Colorado program is still very visible and has plenty of talent, but Shilo was recently trying to recruit players via Instagram. That does not exactly suggest that things are going well.