Colorado football was the talk of the NCAA world last season, as new coach Deion “Prime Time” Sanders revitalized the program with an influx of transfers, prospects, and swagger. Of course, his son Shedeur took center stage, dazzling with his passing skills at quarterback.
With the 2024 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, Vegas wasted no time anointing him as the favorite to be taken first overall next year, via BetOnline. Sanders is coming off a breakout season in which he registered 3,230 passing yards with 27 touchdowns and just three picks.
However, the Buffaloes finished just 4-8 overall and 1-8 in PAC-12 play after a 3-0 start. With Colorado now transferring to the Big 12, Sanders could separate himself even further from his peers in the draft rankings if he can lead the school to its first winning season since 2016.
Who else is competing with Sanders for the top spot? How does he compare to 2024 first-overall pick Caleb Williams?
Shedeur Sanders will have fierce competition to maintain top status in his last season with Colorado football
While Sanders is the favorite at +250, he's trailed closely by a couple of other signal-callers. Georgia's Carson Beck and Texas' Quinn Ewers slot in at +400 and +500, respectively. Tennessee defensive end James Pearce comes in fourth at +700, who's then followed up by Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe, and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter. All three latter players are tied at +1200.
At this time last year, Williams was already the heavy favorite to get selected first, via Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek.
“DraftKings Sportsbook released the odds for the No. 1 pick of next year's draft, and the USC quarterback is a heavy favorite at -550 (bet $550 to win $100),” said Polacek. “He is followed by North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye at +600 and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. at +2,000.”
Of course, Williams had just come off his Heisman Trophy-winning season with USC. His production dwarfed that of his peers, tossing 4,537 yards to go with 42 touchdowns and just five picks, to go with 382 yards and 10 scores on the ground in 2022.
While Sanders has shown promise, he has work to do before he gets to the level that Williams was as a prospect. That's why he's not nearly as favored by Vegas as the former Trojan was.
Luckily for Sanders, it appears that his supporting cast will get reinforcements this season. The Buffaloes' incoming transfer class ranks sixth in the nation, via 247 Sports. As of now, the program has 34 incoming transfers, including several three-star offensive players. It also has several stud high-school recruits coming in, including five-star offensive lineman Jordan Seaton. The Florida native is the top-ranked interior lineman in the country.
With this in mind, NFL scouts will undoubtedly want to see Sanders help keep Colorado football in contention this year. While physical traits and talent can take a player far, displaying the mental intangibles that it takes to win is a priceless quality. The 22-year-old will have his work cut out for him in a competitive Big 12 conference, but that shouldn't stop him if he truly has what it takes to be the top pick.
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