Despite all the hype surrounding the Deion Sanders-led Colorado football program, the Buffaloes won only four of their 12 games last season. After winning their first three games, Colorado lost eight of their next nine matches. Arizona State was the only Pac-12 Conference team they defeated last season.
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But now that the program has shifted to the Big 12 Conference, Fox Sports and The Athletic’s college football insider Bruce Feldman is confident that the Buffaloes can improve from four to eight wins in 2024 because of roster improvements, particularly in their offensive line, and quality of opposition.
“I think they can do that. Considering how bad they were on the offensive line last year, it would be hard not to get better. From everything I’ve heard from the people I talked to in there, I think they have upgraded those areas in part.”
Building the offensive line gives quarterback Shedeur Sanders the space to run their plays without pressure. While he is athletic enough to step out of the pocket, doing it often will not be fruitful in the long road to victory. As college football analyst Ben Stevens pointed out, they have surrendered 53 sacks, the most allowed by an FBS team, as of their penultimate game against Washington State.
In addition to improving the offensive line, easier opposition should help Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes score more victories. Last year, Colorado faced six teams that reached the Associated Press Top 25 rankings. In 2024, only Arizona, Kansas, and Oklahoma State fall under that list. They will also open the 2024 season against North Dakota State, an NCAA Division 1 FCS team, a tier lower than Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision.
Feldman also believes the Buffaloes will win some come-from-behind games due to their playmakers like Sanders and Travis Hunter.
Bruce Feldman Reacts to Having Two of Deion Sanders’ Players Go 1-2 In the NFL Draft
Ever the hype man, head coach Sanders believes that two-way player Hunter and his son should be the first two picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Seeing that happening would be a tall order, especially if the Buffaloes don’t have an impressive record this season.
While Feldman didn’t affirm Deion Sanders’ claim, he highlighted what’s good in Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. The insider even shared that some NFL front offices don’t envision the Colorado quarterback as a top-ten pick for 2025.
“That one I might have missed. Travis Hunter is a really gifted two-way player. I’m sure I imagine it’ll be as a cornerback, and then you have obviously Shedeur; he’s also all over the map.”
Feldman also praised Sanders’ accuracy with the deep ball and composure in the pocket. However, a stacked quarterback draft class awaits in 2025, with Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe, Quinn Ewers, Conner Weigman, and Noah Fifita potentially available.
However, mock drafts by Tankathon and ESPN contradict Feldman’s suggestion that Sanders might not be a top-ten pick. Tankathon has Deion Sanders’ son going seventh overall to the Las Vegas Raiders. In contrast, ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller has Sanders going second overall via a hypothetical trade between the Raiders and the Carolina Panthers.
