Colorado Buffaloes Football

Shedeur Sanders seems confident he will be the top pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, but not all scouts are on the same page.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, some scouts aren't projecting Sanders as a Round 1 pick following his senior season at Colorado.

"I've already talked to people within the league who don't have anything close to a first-round grade on the guy," Pelissero said about Sanders on Friday's episode of the Rich Eisen Show.

Pelissero continued: "The idea that he's just going to walk in and going to be the No. 1 pick, that's probably pushing it... if I were guessing who comes off the board first, I'd say Shedeur is not the first Colorado player off the board as it stands today."

Sanders wrapped up his final season with Colorado last Saturday with a bowl game loss to BYU.

The quarterback said ahead of the game that his cleats would reflect where he was going in the upcoming NFL draft.

He then arrived to face BYU in custom New York Giants cleats. At the time the Giants, who have since slipped behind the Tennessee Titans in the race to the bottom of the league standings, were on track to select first in the draft.

Pelissero said that while Sanders going No. 1 could still happen, there was "healthy skepticism among people in the league" that one of the bottom finishers would use their top pick on the Colorado signal caller.

Sanders' case for No. 1 likely wasn't helped by his performance against BYU, during which he struggled with three sacks in the first half.

As B/R NFL Scout Dame Parson wrote in his report on Sanders, the Colorado quarterback is a strong passer from the pocket, but may struggle to sustain the number of hits he takes with the Buffaloes at the NFL level.

The loss to BYU also marked the final college outing for Sanders' teammate and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who played for the Buffaloes at both cornerback and wide receiver this season.

Hunter is also a candidate for the No. 1 pick, something he previously said was even more important to him than winning the Heisman.

There's a chance that, should a team like the Giants or Tennessee Titans end up at the top of the draft, they will want to use their pick to select a quarterback regardless of the best overall prospect available.

Even with Hunter out of the picture in that case, Sanders would have to compete with other top quarterback prospects including Miami's Cam Ward to hear his name called first this spring.

Deion Sanders shut down any rumors that he's trying to influence where his sons, Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, get selected in the 2025 NFL draft.

On social media, Sanders called out "multiple idiots" who "will say things that totally aren't true" about the Colorado head coach.

"It will be multiple IDIOTS that will say things that totally aren't true regarding where I would like (Shedeur) & (Shilo) to play in the (NFL)," Sanders wrote. "If I say it I will say it directly to whom it may concern not a attention seeker. I do know (Roger Goodell) personally!"

Though Sanders claims he won't influence where his sons go in the draft, the Buffaloes head coach previously said he'd step in if Shedeur, Shilo or Travis Hunter were drafted to teams he didn't want them to play for.

"All this is subjective because I know where I kind of want them to go," Sanders said in March. "And let's not forget Shilo (Sanders). But I know where I want them to go. There's certain cities where it ain't going to happen. ...It's going to be an Eli (Manning)."

It's unclear if Sanders still has that thought process, but it could shake things up this draft season if Sanders has a say in where his players will get drafted.

Shedeur is coming off a tremendous final collegiate season at Colorado. He had 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, adding another four scores on the ground.

His outstanding play alongside Hunter led the Buffs to a 9-4 finish.

Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department lists Shedeur as the No. 9 overall player in this year's draft class and the second-best quarterback, only behind Miami's Cam Ward.

While Shedeur will certainly be one of the first players of the board, Shilo might fall a bit further. The safety didn't have the same caliber of season, recording 45 tackles, one sack, two passes defended and a forced fumble.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders led the team to a successful 2024 season that included its first bowl game appearance in four years, and fans are set to get a deeper look at the Buffaloes' impressive campaign.

Amazon's Prime Video announced that season three of Coach Prime will premiere on Jan. 7 and released the trailer for the show on Monday:

The trailer for the third season of Coach Prime highlighted the evolution of the Colorado football program in just two years under Sanders. He took over a team that went 1-11 the year before he arrived.

In 2024, the Buffaloes finished the year with a 9-4 record after suffering a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl, their first bowl game since 2020. Still, Colorado's upward trajectory has reignited the fan interest in the team and created a bright future for the program.

Buffaloes two-way star Travis Hunter's Heisman Trophy campaign will also be documented in the upcoming season of Coach Prime. Hunter established himself as the biggest star in the sport by excelling both as a wide receiver and cornerback, bringing even more national attention to Colorado.

Most importantly, the 2024 season was the last time Sanders got to coach his sons, quarterback Shedeur Sanders and defensive back Shilo Sanders. Both players are headed for the 2025 NFL draft, and their final year together will be the central theme of the show's upcoming season.

Coach Prime first premiered in December 2022 and followed Sanders' final season as head coach of Jackson State. The second season premiered the following year and documented the highs and lows of Colorado's 2023 campaign in which the team started with three straight wins before finishing with a 4-8 record.

After finishing his college career in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl, Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter reportedly has already begun taking steps toward his new life at the professional level.

According to David Rumsey of Front Office Sports, Hunter will sign with hip-hop star Lil Wayne's agency Young Money APAA Sports for his on-field representation in the NFL. Rumsey added that Young Money beat out major sports agencies such as WME, CAA, Klutch Sports Group, and Athletes First, all of whom reportedly made pitches to Hunter near the end of the 2024 season.

Hunter, who is the No. 1 player in the B/R NFL Scouting Department's 2025 draft big board, is now one of the highest-profile athlete clients represented by Young Money, which also represents new Duke quarterback Darian Mensah and new Colorado defensive end Jehiem Oatis, the latter of whom transferred from Alabama. The agency also has divisions across the NFL, NBA, soccer and college sports.

During his acceptance speech after winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy earlier this month, Hunter gave a shoutout to Lil Wayne, which probably was an early indication that he was leaning toward joining Young Money. Young Money APAA Sports co-founder and CEO Adie von Gontard also posted two photos on Instagram with Hunter and the Heisman Trophy after the presentation ceremony in New York City.

Hunter will continue his partnership with SMAC Entertainment for his off-field representation. The agency, which also works with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and head coach Deion Sanders, helped Hunter earn a slew of NIL deals, including an Adidas deal that will continue in his professional career.

Colorado suffered a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. In his final collegiate game, Hunter recorded four catches for 106 yards and a touchdown on offense with four tackles on defense.

After Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' college career came to an end in Saturday night's Valero Alamo Bowl, he received a kind gesture from his heir apparent.

Colorado incoming freshman and class of 2025 4-star quarterback Julian Lewis posted a locker room photo on social media praising him for leaving "big shoes to fill":

Lewis was one of 10 early enrollees who were in attendance to watch the Buffaloes as they suffered a 36-14 loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. Sanders threw for 208 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions on 16-of-23 passing in the loss.

Lewis was the No. 6 quarterback in the nation in 247Sports' composite. He initially appeared to be heading to USC before he de-committed from the program last month and committed to Colorado just a few days later. He will likely be competing for the Buffaloes' starting job with Liberty transfer quarterback Kaidon Salter, who committed to the team earlier this month.

At 6'0" and 185 pounds, Lewis is a bit undersized, but he's still expected to have a bright future and the potential to make an immediate impact in 2025.

"Overall, projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making," 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins stated. "Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays – and potentially right away."

While losing Sanders will lead to some adjustments, it appears that the Buffaloes are in good hands with Lewis and Salter stabilizing things under center going forward.

It was more than the loss that was weighing on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders following the Buffaloes' 36-14 defeat to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

Sanders said in his postgame press conference it was "tough to know" this is likely to be the last time he coaches sons Shedeur and Shilo on the gridiron.

In the locker room after the game, Sanders told his players not to be "angry" about the outcome but use the Alamo Bowl as a learning experience instead:

Before the game kicked off, the significance of the occasion wasn't lost on Sanders. He was visibly emotional in an on-field interview with ESPN's Taylor McGregor when thinking about the "journey" he has taken with Shedeur and Shilo:

The Hall of Fame cornerback's comments and his heartfelt reaction to coaching his sons' last college game are notable within a different context.

Throughout the season, people have floated the idea that Deion and Shedeur could in effect be a package deal for an NFL team. A franchise with a high draft pick could hire Deion and then tab Shedeur as its quarterback of the future.

Sanders has maintained his long-term commitment to Colorado, saying in November he's "got a kickstand down" in Boulder.

ESPN's Adam Rittenberg also cited a source at Colorado who said in December that Coach Prime is "acting as if he's back."

"I think he's all-in," the source said. "Normally, you can tell when guys are fed up and they're trying to leave and they're unhappy. They're probably going to pay him a lot of money, extend his contract, keep him happy."

Still, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN followed up to report there's a belief that NFL teams might be willing to at least reach out to Sanders as a prospective candidate.

On Saturday at least, the 57-year-old didn't sound like somebody who's expecting to work in the pros, where the opportunity to coach Shedeur and/or Shilo would again present itself.

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have played their last game for Colorado.

The Buffaloes stars' college careers ended on Saturday night with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the 2024 Alamo Bowl.

The contest in San Antonio was an emotional occasion for head coach Deion Sanders, who coached his sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders for the last time in their college careers.

But the occasion ended in a blowout loss for Sanders' team, highlighted by his son's 43-yard touchdown pass to Hunter in the third quarter.

A dominant performance by the BYU defense was capped off when Sanders was picked off in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker celebrated by imitating Deion Sanders' signature touchdown dance.

Sanders recorded the final touchdown pass of his college career with a short throw to Sav'ell Smalls in the final minutes of the loss.

A bowl game loss won't stop Colorado's starting quarterback and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at aiming for a spot in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft this April.

Sanders has made it clear that he wants to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, a goal he emphasized by wearing custom New York Giants cleats ahead of the bowl game.

That earned Sanders some ribbing from fans after he moved the Buffs back 23 yards on a sack that put his team out of field goal range in the second quarter.

Sanders finished the game having taken four sacks as his struggles with pressure from the BYU defense led some viewers to question how high he will go in the upcoming draft.

Other fans were impressed by Sanders' decision to stay in until the end of the blowout, especially in the light of prospective top pick Cam Ward's decision to sit out the second half of Saturday's Pop-Tarts bowl after setting the all-time DI career touchdown pass record in the first.

Miami went on to lose 42-41 to Iowa State with Ward on the sideline.

Hunter recorded four receptions, including the second-quarter touchdown catch, to rack up triple digit receiving yards for the eighth time this season.

Whatever the results of the upcoming draft, Sanders and Hunter will depart from Deion Sanders' program having successfully led the Buffaloes from a 1-11 season two years ago to a winning record and bowl game this winter.

Colorado football head coach Deion Sanders will coach his sons, quarterback Shedeur and safety Shilo, as well as Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter for the final time on Saturday when his team plays No. 17 BYU in the Alamo Bowl.

It will obviously be an emotional evening for Sanders in San Antonio, and the Pro Football Hall of Famer understandably isn't sure how he'll handle it just yet.

"It's gonna be something to behold," Sanders said, per Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today.

"I don't know how I'm gonna handle it. I know Travis is gonna trigger me. I know it because he always does, and he's gonna bring tears out of my eyes. But I don't look forward to it. But I do, because that means they're going to another level, another chapter of life. And they're gonna soar."

The quartet has been together for four years, first at Jackson State (2021-2022) before heading to Colorado last season. The Buffaloes were 1-11 in 2022 but has since improved to 9-3 in 2024 with a No. 20 ranking in the Associated Press poll. A win over BYU will certainly cement a Top 20 finish, putting the exclamation point on a tremendous program comeback.

Sanders definitively said on the Pacman Jones Show that he's staying at Colorado despite speculation connecting him to the NFL or other college programs.

But Shedeur and Shilo Sanders and Hunter are now headed to the pros. In fact, it's certainly possible that Shedeur Sanders and Hunter end up going one-two (in some order) in the NFL draft, or at least very high up.

For now, though, they'll all finish out the season in Texas. Kickoff on Saturday is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

Colorado two-way phenom Travis Hunter received a vote of confidence from head coach Deion Sanders ahead of Saturday's Valero Alamo Bowl against BYU.

During a recent practice, Sanders called Hunter to the middle of the huddle to remind him who he is and how much he means to the Buffaloes.

"I want you to know this in front of everybody: you know we love you, we got you, we appreciate you. You are him," Sanders said.

Hunter has dealt with a wave of chatter on social media about his personal life after he won the 2024 Heisman Trophy earlier this month. However, Saturday's game will be the last of his college career before he enters the 2025 NFL draft, so he will be motivated to end things on a good note.

While splitting time between receiver and cornerback, Hunter led Colorado with 92 catches, 1,152 yards, 14 touchdowns, 11 passes defended and four interceptions. He also had 31 total tackles and a forced fumble on defense and a rushing touchdown on offense.

Hunter is the No. 1 player on B/R's NFL draft big board. He has a bright future at the next level, but for now, he's focused on finishing off the 2024 season the right way in the Alamo Bowl.