When the Colorado Buffaloes announced they’d retire Shedeur Sanders’ No. 2 jersey, the decision was met with nothing but skepticism. Most analysts and fans questioned the move, suggesting that Sanders’ on-field achievements might not warrant such an honor. After all, the QB didn’t even win the Heisman last year.
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However, sports analyst Emmanuel Acho has swiftly come to Sanders‘ defense, armed with compelling statistics and a broader perspective on why the star quarterback was worthy.
In a brief video posted on X, Acho began by acknowledging that, if evaluated solely on football performance, retiring Sanders’ jersey will definitely seem premature. “Absolutely not if you’re basing it off football alone,” he stated. However, the former Brown emphasized that such a narrow view overlooks the transformative impact Sanders had on the Colorado football program and the university at large.
The ex-NFL Linebacker highlighted several key metrics to support his argument:
- Stadium attendance reached unprecedented levels, with consecutive sellouts for the first time in the program’s history.
- Ticket prices surged by 285%, reflecting increased demand and interest.
- Sponsorship revenue experienced a 40% uptick, indicating enhanced commercial appeal.
- Overall university applications rose by 20%, while applications from Black students increased by 50%, suggesting a broader cultural and societal impact.
Acho concluded that Sanders’ influence extended beyond the gridiron, revitalizing a struggling program and elevating the university’s profile nationally. “If it’s off football alone, I get it. The jersey number should not be retired,” he conceded. “But thinking about it based off football alone is short-sighted.”
While Acho presented a strong case, it simply wasn’t enough to break through many fans’ belief that Shedeur Sanders hadn’t done enough to have his jersey retired. For them, most of the achievements Acho highlighted were attributed to the Coach Prime effect, something they felt had little to do with the Buffs quarterback.
“#12 all day, well deserved. #2 isn’t even a consideration if his dad isn’t the coach. Prime created all of this, not Shedeur,” argued an NFL fan. “This seems like all the accolades should be for Dion and not Shedeur. He’s the reason for all that,” penned another.
That said, a few understood where Acho was coming from. For instance, a parent of a Colorado alumni pointed out that the crowd difference after Shedeur Sanders’ arrival at Boulder was simply sensational compared to the pre-Sanders era.
“My daughter graduated from CU last May and even interned for the team in her last year. The difference in a year from the games we went to on visits was night and day. Not to mention the famous people were there. Atmosphere was amazing.”
My daughter graduated from CU last May and even interned for the team in her last year. The difference in a year from the games we went to on visits was night and day. Not to mention the famous people were there. Atmosphere was amazing.
— Lisa Cawley (@LisaCaw213) April 15, 2025
The others, meanwhile, continued attributing the commercial success to Deion’s name, with some even crediting Travis Hunter for the same. “Admissions went up [because] of Deion and Travis. NOT Shedeur. It’s called the “Flutie Effect” *College Admissions raise on average 35% when an individual player wins the Heisman trophy,” they wrote.
All said and done, fans do make a fair point. When considering on-field metrics — the statistics that can be traced back to the quarterback — Sanders fails to wow. Not only is he a top 5 all-time passer in Colorado’s history, but he also couldn’t win something tangible like his predecessors have.
But one thing you cannot take away from Shedeur Sanders is the fact that he is the one who has revived Boulder from irrelevancy. However, is that enough to get your jersey retired? Well, your guess is as good as mine!
