Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado football are in prime position to clinch a bowl spot with one more victory on Saturday. And Sanders continues to rise in draft value in the process for ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.
Kiper released an updated version of his big board on Thursday. Sanders stands alone still as Kiper’s top QB.
The longtime NFL Draft evaluator has continuously endorsed Sanders as the best quarterback draft prospect. Kiper didn’t bring up Sanders’ numbers or arm strength as the immediate reason. Instead, he raved about how tough the son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders is.
“Shedeur Sanders has had to survive,” Kiper said during his ESPN First Draft segment back on Sept. 27. “I don’t know any other quarterback that could, and still be out there… to keep getting back up and competing. I’m ready to put Shedeur at QB1, I really am, just because of that reason.”
Sanders is currently the third-most sacked QB as noted by On3.com’s Kaiden Smith. Still, he is on pace to shatter his previous 2023 numbers at CU which saw him throw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns.
Shedeur Sanders changing Colorado draft narrative
Sanders has many, including Kiper, believing he’ll test the draft waters after the 2024 season. The second-year Buffaloes QB will have history on his side, and so will Colorado football.
The Buffaloes have never produced a first round quarterback in program history. Kordell Stewart remains the closest one as a former second rounder in the 1995 draft. And Stewart had many scouts and analysts believing he would need to change positions as a “slash” player who lined up as a wide receiver and running back.
To dive even further, Koy Detmer is the last Buffaloes QB to get drafted in the league. Detmer, however, fell all the way to No. 207 overall in the seventh round of the 1997 draft.
Sanders is changing the narrative of how the nation views Colorado and its QB play. He’s delivered numerous cases that make him the obvious QB1 for the upcoming rookie class.
The 22-year-old leads the Big 12 Conference with 195 completions. He’s also tops in completion percentage at 72.2%. Lastly, he’s thrown 19 touchdown passes, the most among Big 12 QBs.
Related NewsArticle continues below
The Big 12 has become a major producer of future NFL stars behind center, as names like Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Brock Purdy have led playoff and Super Bowl appearances after coming out of the conference. Sanders is getting his first taste of the Power 4 conference as Colorado football rejoined the Big 12 before the ’24 season.
But as Kiper pointed out in his first draft evaluation of the 2024 Sanders, the quarterback continues to get back up after sustaining 24 sacks, which is the most among Big 12 quarterbacks.
Yet through the constant pressures and sacks, Sanders has delivered three 300-yard outings against FBS competition. One came against Baylor in the epic come-from-behind 38-31 overtime victory, which saw Sanders end with 341 yards.
Sanders gets a chance to raise his draft stock even higher with a highly-anticipated conference showdown against Cincinnati in Boulder on Saturday. The Bearcats share an identical 5-2 record with Sanders’ Buffaloes.