By Sean Labar
The Colorado Buffaloes are currently ranked No. 20 in the College Football Playoff Poll — and in just two seasons since taking over as their head coach — Deion Sanders has completely revitalized the program.
The Buffs are sitting at (6-2) and while it may be a long shot — are still in the conversation to make the 12-team College Football Playoff — with Texas Tech, Utah, Kansas, and Oklahoma State left on the schedule.
Coach Prime has treated the Colorado football team like an NFL franchise. While Colorado ranked last in the Big 12 in the high school recruiting rankings for 2024, the Buffaloes ranked No. 2 in transfer portal rankings this offseason, with 42 new players joining the roster and 45 players from the 2023 team leaving in the transfer portal.
One of the biggest areas Colorado wanted to add talent was on the offensive line. In 2023, QB Shedeur Sanders threw for 3,320 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. But Coach Prime’s son was sacked a staggering 52 times, more than any QB last season.
Fast forward to this season. With four games remaining in the regular season, Sanders has thrown for 2,591 yards, 21 touchdowns, and six interceptions. While the offensive line hasn’t been an eye-popping upgrade, the unit has gotten better. Sanders has been sacked 25 times so far this year.
Colorado Buffaloes QB Shedeur Sanders Should Stay In College For 2025 Season
Call me crazy, but I truly believe there’s a valid argument for Sanders to stay in Boulder for the 2025 season instead of heading to the NFL.
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Sure, Mel Kiper currently has the Colorado QB as his QB1 of the 2025 class, but that means he’s going to land in a bad situation with a team like Carolina or Las Vegas.
In the new world of college football, money is no longer a factor. Sanders is currently the highest-paid athlete in all of college sports, with a NIL valuation of $6.2 million according to ON3.
We have watched Sanders use the transfer portal to completely overhaul the 2023 roster and the Buffaloes are now the No. 21 team in the country, with a chance to make the College Football Playoff.
If Sanders stayed in Boulder another season— he could help his dad pull off a feat that seemed impossible when the father/son duo got there last year— as the Buffaloes could be in a position to win a national title in 2025.
Instead, Sanders is planning to leave for the NFL and Colorado will have to turn to one of the young, unproven QBs on the current roster or add an experienced QB via the portal.
Shedeur Sanders has an opportunity to pull off an unprecedented feat with his dad, but instead, is choosing to go to the NFL where his fate will be determined by where he lands.
A final year in college would allow him to fine-tune his skillset, earn almost as much as he would as a first-round rookie, and give the Colorado Buffaloes a legitimate shot to win a national title.
While it’s highly unlikely at this point, Shedeur Sanders should stay in school for another year.
