Shedeur Sanders will once again make his mark on the college football landscape as the Colorado Buffaloes‘ quarterback in 2024. Who does the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders resemble most with his game?
Shedeur Sanders Entering Crucial 2024 Season with Colorado Buffaloes
After a productive stint at Jackson State, the younger Sanders followed his father to Colorado to be the Buffaloes’ starting quarterback. Though the wins didn’t follow in Year 1, Sanders himself was impressive.
In 11 games as a starter in 2023, Sanders completed 298 of 430 attempts (69.3%) for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Sanders was one of the most prolific passers in the league, and he returns to the fold in 2024 as one of the faces of college football. Not only that, but he’s also a top-five QB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft on Pro Football Network’s Big Board and a potential first-round pick.
Already, the projections and premonitions for Sanders’ collegiate and professional career have swelled, but looking at the tape and the numbers, what’s the best match for Sanders — both as a CFB performer and a potential NFL contributor?
Geno Smith Is Best Comparison for Sanders
One of the most popular comparisons for Sanders thus far — among both CFB and NFL Draft aficionados — has been former West Virginia, New York Jets, and current Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith, like Sanders, was a storied college QB — and perhaps has a legacy that even Sanders has to work to match. Smith was a first-team All-Big East performer in 2011 and a second-team All-Big 12 performer in 2012 when West Virginia shifted conferences.
Not only that, but Smith also broke Tom Brady’s Orange Bowl passing-yardage record. He distinguished himself as one of the most electric passers in the sport — passing for a combined 8,590 yards, 73 touchdowns, and 13 picks in his final two seasons.
Smith was bigger than Sanders, and that may prove to be a point of contention for any comps. Sanders is listed at 6’2″, 215 pounds, but he’s likely closer to 6’1″, 200 pounds. Nevertheless, there are stark stylistic similarities between Sanders and Smith.
Like Smith, Sanders is a capable athlete but relies much more on his passing ability to make an impact. He’s a smooth pocket maneuverer and a capable pre-snap operator who separates himself with his lively arm strength, reliable accuracy, and sharp situational precision.
Smith needed time to grow into a Pro Bowler at the NFL level, and that may be the case for Sanders as well if poor offensive line play continues to erode his pocket instincts and poise. Nevertheless, Sanders has the arm and accuracy to be a high-volume distributor from the pocket.
Jake Delhomme a Strong Secondary Comparison
Smith takes the top spot among Sanders comparisons, but if there’s another one to make, it might be Jake Delhomme.
Delhomme wasn’t the storied college football passer that Smith became, but he did leave his own legacy at Louisiana-Lafayette — then known as Southwestern Louisiana.
A four-year starter, Delhomme led the Ragin’ Cajuns to two Big West conference titles, and as a senior, he headlined a massive upset over stalwart Texas A&M. Later, Delhomme would become an NFL starter and Pro Bowler, also scoring a Super Bowl appearance after the 2003 season.
The similarities between Sanders and Delhomme are more at the cosmetic level. Delhomme was a functional athlete but little more than that. Sanders is a bit similar in that he has good functional athleticism, but he’ll never be a high-level rushing threat.
Nevertheless, against the odds, Delhomme led the Ragin’ Cajuns to unexpected success with his toughness and gunslinger mentality. In 2024, Sanders could help the Buffaloes maintain respectability in a similar light as controversy mires the program.
Sanders likely has a stronger arm than the 6’2″, 215-pound Delhomme did, and he’s a bit better at avoiding turnovers through the air. But Delhomme’s brand of pocket mobility, arm-dominant mechanics, and toughness all steer well toward a Sanders comparison.
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Comparisons are useful exercises, as they ultimately help us contextualize and project the performance of players. But Sanders is a unique player, and his career will be unique as well. A career in a similar arc to Smith or Delhomme would assuredly be considered a success.
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