BOULDER >> Shilo Sanders could return to the Buffs defense within a month, CU football coach Deion Sanders, the safety’s father, said during his weekly news conference at the Champions Center.

“He has the hand of God on him,” Coach Prime said of his son, who injured his arm in the first quarter of a 28-10 loss at Nebraska this past weekend. “So I would say (he’d be back in) 2-3 weeks.”

The younger Sanders had surgery, his father said via a social media post on Monday. Coach Prime speculated to NBC at halftime that Shilo, who did not play after CU’s first defensive series in Lincoln, had broken his forearm. The coach didn’t elaborate during his postgame news conference.

Sanders said his son had successful surgery on Sunday.

“I believe (he) came through it all right,” the coach said. “He woke up highly medicated and said, ‘I’m going to play this week,’ … (and) said some other things on medication I’ll choose not to share.”

The Buffs safety, a sixth-year senior, has 11 tackles this season.

CU faces CSU in the Rocky Mountain Showdown on Saturday night in Fort Collins, then hosts Baylor (Sept. 21) and visits UCF (Sept. 28). CU has a bye the first weekend of October, but the elder Sanders spoke as if he expected his son to return to the Buffs secondary before that.

In other injury news, Coach Prime said he wasn’t expecting running back Dallan Hayden or defensive back Isaiah Hardge to play against the Rams but did not provide specifics.

Hayden, a transfer from Ohio State, has run for 52 yards on 14 carries this season for the Buffs. The Memphis native picked up 20 yards on the ground and caught one pass for 14 yards at Lincoln this past weekend.

Coach Prime said he was hopeful that defensive tackle Chidozie Nwankwo, who left the Huskers game with an injury, would be available for the Rocky Mountain Showdown.