Following Shedeur Sanders’ shocking decline in the 2025 NFL Draft, many people began to ponder if he might have returned to college football for another season. Given the amount of talk about his future and strong connections to the collegiate game, it’s reasonable to wonder. But there’s more to the answer than a simple yes or no.
Shedeur Sanders’ College Football Eligibility
As the son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders is a gifted quarterback who significantly impacted his college career. He began his career at Jackson State University, where he helped improve the program under his father’s tutelage.
Shedeur spent two seasons there, winning awards such as the Deacon Jones Trophy and the Jerry Rice Award (best freshman in FCS), before transferring to the University of Colorado.
Sanders demonstrated in 2023 and 2024 at Colorado why he was regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects. His 2024 season was particularly noteworthy; he led Colorado to a dominant Big 12 performance, throwing for over 4,100 yards and 37 touchdowns.
His performance solidified him as a possible NFL starter and earned him the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award.
After the 2024 season concluded, Sanders announced his intention to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. Although some had predicted that he would be selected in the late first or second round, he unexpectedly dropped to the fifth round, where the Cleveland Browns selected him.
This fall, it became unclear whether he could have chosen to return to school, given that he still had one year of college eligibility left.
Why a Return Wasn’t Really Possible
Technically, Sanders did have one year of eligibility left, thanks to the NCAA COVID-19 eligibility relief rules that gave players an extra year. However, once players officially declare for the NFL Draft and engage in certain activities, like signing with an agent or attending the NFL Combine, they forfeit their amateur status.
Shedeur Sanders attended the Combine and engaged legal counsel as part of his full pre-draft participation. Per NCAA rules, that ruling eliminated any possibility of playing collegiate football again. A player cannot decide to “come back” after passing that boundary, even if their draft stock suddenly drops.
There have been talks about the NCAA possibly altering these regulations, particularly in light of the constantly shifting NIL deals and athlete empowerment scene. According to some legal experts, restrictive regulations such as these may someday be challenged on antitrust grounds. However, those changes haven’t happened as of 2025.
Even while the concept of athletes returning after declaring is surprising, the current regulations made it clear that Sanders’ college days were finished once he properly joined the draft process, as Chris Vannini of The Atlantic noted on social media.
Sheduer doesn’t have eligibility left. He was a Division I starter for four years. It’s not just the draft rules.
Players who have gotten extra years in court have usually done so because of very different circumstances, like injuries/limited snaps or junior college. https://t.co/d14hqqPNq6
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) April 26, 2025
What’s Next for Shedeur Sanders?
While his draft-day slide might have been disappointing, Sanders lands in an intriguing spot with the Browns. With time to develop and a chip on his shoulder, he could eventually earn a significant role at the NFL level. His college career is behind him, but the future remains very much in his hands.
KEEP READING: Top 300 Prospects — Get Your Free Printable 2025 NFL Draft Big Board
Fans who loved watching Shedeur light up college defenses won’t get another season of that magic, but the NFL may be the stage where he writes his next great chapter.
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