Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders is gearing up for the 2025 NFL Draft. And while he’s received mixed reviews, especially around his on-field/off-field antics, one college football analyst had nothing but glowing things to say about the star signal-caller.
Shedeur Sanders Has the Skills To Back Up Draft Hype
While on the “Maggie and Perloff’s Show,” Ryan Leaf gave a ringing endorsement of Sanders:
“The guy is driving a $300,000 Lamborghini in Boulder. And yet, he’s the first guy in there at 6 a.m. He’s in the weight room. He’s watching the film.”
“The guy is driving a $300,000 Lamborghini in Boulder. And yet, he’s the first guy in there at 6am. He’s in the weight room. He’s watching film.”
Former NFL QB Ryan Leaf thinks Shedeur Sanders has shown he has the right temperament & work ethic to be a franchise quarterback pic.twitter.com/ESSkd8v9Zt
— Maggie and Perloff (@MaggieandPerl) February 6, 2025
Leaf said before this that players who quickly earn a lot of money often avoid the film room and are not around the practice facility putting in the time. Their attitude changes as a result of getting paid.
Leaf also said in that interview, “Once you have a mindset like I am a football player, you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and everything you do has to benefit the foundation of building that up.”
Sanders hasn’t let the money or cars go to his head, though, as he lit up opponents in his senior year, throwing for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.
His play earned the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors. He also demonstrated exceptional passing skills the previous year with the Buffaloes, generating 3,230 yards and 27 TDs against three INTs.
Before transferring to Colorado, Sanders demonstrated his skills and work ethic playing for the Jackson State Tigers, passing 3,231 yards with 30 TDs and eight INTs.
He was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Freshman of the Year and second-team All-SWAC. He won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the FCS.
In his first game as a sophomore, Sanders completed 29 of 33 passes for 323 yards and five touchdowns in the Tigers’ 59–3 win over Florida A&M.
As a sophomore, Sanders completed 70.6% of his pass attempts for 3,732 yards with 40 touchdowns and six interceptions and was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Sanders was also awarded the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation’s top HBCU player. The rumor mill is running wild as we head to the NFL Draft at the end of April, with both Sanders and the Miami Hurricanes Cam Ward garnering the most attention.
The Tennessee Titans hold the No. 1 pick, and Sanders has met with head coach Brian Callahan. Tennessee needs to rebuild its offense from the ground up.
KEEP READING: Shedeur Sanders Declares What He’ll Bring to an NFL Team
Callahan drafted Joe Burrow when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals, so there is hope he can land another quarterback like that for the Titans. Former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky thinks Sanders would work well in Las Vegas with the Raiders, even though they hold the No. 6 pick.
Pete Carroll and Chip Kelly, who just moved to the Raiders from the Ohio State Buckeyes, could be an excellent spot for Sanders.
“I also love that their new offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has the collegiate ties, so the new age offense and some of the stuff that Shedeur is comfortable with, with understanding how the NFL game works,” Orlovsky said.
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