Shedeur Sanders
Sanders with Jackson State in 2022
Colorado Buffaloes – No. 2
PositionQuarterback
ClassJunior
MajorSociology
Personal information
Born: (2002-02-07) February 7, 2002 (age 22)
Tyler, Texas, U.S.
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career history
College
High schoolTrinity Christian (Cedar Hill, Texas)
Career highlights and awards

Shedeur Sanders (/ʃəˈdʊər/ shəd-OOR; born February 7, 2002) is an American football quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played for the Jackson State Tigers, where he won the Jerry Rice Award and Deacon Jones Trophy before transferring in 2023. Sanders is the youngest son of Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback and Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders.

Early life and high school

Sanders attended Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas, where his father was the school's offensive coordinator.[1] As a senior, he completed 251-of-366 pass attempts for 3,702 yards and 43 touchdowns.[2] Sanders was rated a four-star prospect and initially committed to play college football at Florida Atlantic before flipping to Jackson State after his father was named the team's head coach.[3][4]

College career

Jackson State

Sanders enrolled at Jackson State in January 2021, but was ineligible to play for the team in its spring 2021 season, which was abbreviated and delayed from its normally intended 2020 schedule due to COVID-19.[5] Sanders was named the Tigers' starting quarterback going into the 2021 fall season and passed for 3,231 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions.[6] He was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Freshman of the Year and second team All-SWAC and won the Jerry Rice Award as the most outstanding freshman in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, becoming the first player from a historically black college or university (HBCU) to win the award.[7][8]

To open his sophomore season, Sanders completed 29 of 33 passes for 323 yards and five touchdowns in the Tigers' 59–3 win over Florida A&M.[9] He completed 70.6% of his pass attempts for 3,732 yards with 40 touchdowns and six interceptions as a sophomore and was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.[10] Sanders was also awarded the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation's top HBCU player.[11] He entered the NCAA transfer portal after the 2022 Celebration Bowl.[12]

Colorado

Sanders joined his father and transferred to Colorado.[13] He was immediately named the Buffaloes' starting quarterback.[14]

In his first game for the Buffaloes, Sanders completed 38 of 47 pass attempts for a school-record 510 yards and four touchdowns in the team's 45–42 win over 17th-ranked TCU.[15]

Statistics

Season Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Record Comp Att Pct Yards Avg TD Int Rate Att Yards Avg TD
Jackson State Tigers
2021 12 12 10–2 272 413 65.9 3,231 7.8 30 8 151.7 103 −17 −0.2 3
2022 12 12 11–1 341 483 70.6 3,732 7.7 40 6 160.4 85 173 2.0 6
Colorado Buffaloes
2023 11 11 4–7 298 430 69.3 3,230 7.5 27 3 151.7 111 −77 −0.7 4
Career 35 35 25-10 911 1,326 68.7 10,193 7.7 97 17 154.9 299 79 0.3 13

Personal life

Sanders' older brother, Shilo, played football at South Carolina before transferring to Jackson State prior to the 2021 season.[16] After graduating from Jackson State in 2023, Shilo transferred to Colorado to join his father and brother.[17]

Sanders signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with Gatorade on January 27, 2022, becoming the first player from an HBCU to do so.[18] Sanders also has NIL agreements with Beats by Dre and BRADY, an apparel company founded by former NFL quarterback Tom Brady.[19][20]

References

  1. ^ Demeyer, Tess (December 16, 2020). "Shedeur, Shilo and Hall of Famer Deion Sanders are set to form a triple threat at Jackson State". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  2. ^ Kaufman, Michelle (September 4, 2021). "Deion Sanders' son to make debut at Orange Blossom Classic". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  3. ^ Price, Khobi (July 13, 2020). "Deion Sanders' son, Shedeur, commits to FAU". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. ^ VanHaaren, Tom (November 6, 2020). "ESPN 300 QB Shedeur Sanders joins dad Deion Sanders at Jackson State". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Milligan, Rashad (July 20, 2021). "Shedeur Sanders watched Jackson State's spring football season from the sideline. He called it a 'blessing'". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  6. ^ "Deion Sanders and Brett Bartolone Have Plans to Tighten Jackson State's Subpar Offense Next Season". Atlanta Black Star. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Thompson, Khari (November 29, 2021). "Was Shedeur Sanders snubbed on the All-SWAC team? Deion Sanders responds". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  8. ^ "Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders is 2021 Jerry Rice Award recipient". Yahoo Sports. Associated Press. December 13, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  9. ^ Carr, Tolly (September 4, 2022). "Jackson State dominates FAMU in Orange Blossom Classic". HBCU Gameday. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  10. ^ Howell, Brian (December 18, 2022). "Colorado football: Buffs reel in West Virginia transfer, three-star linebacker". Boulder Daily Camera. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  11. ^ Keith, J.T. (February 27, 2023). "Shedeur Sanders selected the HBCU football player of the year". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  12. ^ Keith, J.T. (December 18, 2022). "Deion Sanders' sons, Shedeur and Shilo, officially enter transfer portal". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  13. ^ Jackson, Wilton (December 21, 2022). "Shedeur Sanders Announces Transfer Decision". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  14. ^ Zucker, Joseph (December 4, 2023). "Deion Sanders Says Son Shedeur Will Be Colorado's QB After Leaving Jackson State". Bleacher Report. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  15. ^ Brugler, Dane; Baumgardner, Nick (September 1, 2023). "What is Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft stock? Colorado QB leads stunning upset of TCU". The Athletic. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  16. ^ "Deion Sanders was there to see his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, deliver for Jackson State football". The Clarion-Ledger. November 14, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  17. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (May 28, 2023). "Shilo Sanders transfers to Colorado: Ex-Jackson State DB reunites with father Deion, brother Shedeur". CBSSports.com. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  18. ^ Gaydos, Ryan (January 27, 2022). "Jackson State's Shedeur Sanders inks historic Gatorade NIL deal". Fox Business. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  19. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (September 1, 2021). "Beats by Dre signs Jackson State QB Shedeur Sanders as first collegiate ambassador". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  20. ^ "Deion Sanders' son, Jackson State's QB, signs a NIL deal with Tom Brady". Tallahassee Democrat. December 17, 2021. Retrieved March 30, 2022.

External links

Colorado Buffaloes starting quarterbacks
Jerry Rice Award winners
Deacon Jones Trophy winners
Categories