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Colorado football fans were concerned when safety Shilo Sanders removed himself from the field due to injury during the team's Week 2 matchup against Dylan Raiola and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. It was first reported that Sanders would be out for the remainder of the game, according to Jake Schwanitz, a DNVR beat reporter. A follow-up announcement from Deion Sanders, Shilo's head coach and father, clarified that the Colorado football defensive back sustained a forearm fracture in the first half vs. Nebraska, as per Matt Zenitz, a 247 Sports reporter.
The sixth-year senior star finished 2023 with 67 total tackles, three passes defended, four forced fumbles and one interception. He began his collegiate career with the South Carolina Gamecocks. After two years there, he transferred to Jackson State to join his father Deion and brother Shedeur, the Buffaloes' starting quarterback.
In Week 1 against North Dakota State, Sanders collected nine total tackles. Before exiting the Nebraska contest, he posted two solo tackles.
When speaking about this matchup, Deion Sanders held up Nebraska's head coach Matt Rhule in high esteem, per Mat Smith, host at 104.3 The Fan.
“First of all, I have a ton of respect for Matt Rhule,” Sanders said. “He’s in – I call it our class of coaches. We all took on a tremendous test that year (2022) … So, I feel like we’re a fraternity. So, I root for that class of head coaches that came in that year…Pro. He’s a professional; did a phenomenal job (with the Carolina Panthers), maybe not the job that he aspired to do, but he has a ton of experience, and I love what he’s accomplished in his college coaching career.”
At the time of publish, the Cornhuskers held a 25-point lead at halfway through the third quarter.
Is there any potential return to Colorado football for Shilo Sanders after a forearm fracture?
According to the National Institutes of Health, which studied this injury among NFL players in 2018, the average recovery time takes from 3 to 6 months. At the earliest end of that range of outcomes, Sanders could not return until December 7, after the college football regular season ends. At best, Sanders could return for a bowl game should Colorado football be eligible to participate.
Given that he is in his sixth year of eligibility, it is possible, with proper documentation, that Sanders could qualify for a medical hardship exception or an eligibility extension for a seventh year. Conferences have their own rules, and his fate could ultimately be in the hands of a committee or the NCAA.
Shilo has been embroiled in numerous off-the-field issues, including filing for bankruptcy in 2023 after declaring he had $11.3 million in liabilities.
