The Colorado Buffaloes suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. The 28-10 loss wasn’t just a blow to the team’s morale but also to their quarterback’s stocks. Shedeur Sanders’ NIL valuation, as per On3, suffered a hit of $381,000, landing at its present estimation of $5.1 million.
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Projected to be the top prospect for the NFL Draft 2025, the quarterback had to face the heat after an underwhelming Week 2 performance. Shedeur managed to complete only 23 out of 38 passes, amassing 244 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
Throughout the entire first half, the CU offense was unable to secure a single scoring drive. Meanwhile, the secondary struggled to contain Nebraska’s running and passing attacks, succumbing to 4 touchdowns.
While the loss was disappointing in itself, it was Sanders’ shrugging off responsibility, which further enraged fans. During a post-game interview, the quarterback turned defensive when asked about his performance, shifting the blame to the offensive line instead.
“I mean, how many times did Raiola get touched?” questioned the 22-year-old. “Of course, whenever you’re able to run the ball consistently that opens up the pass, you know?”
Shedeur Sanders puts all the blame on his offensive line for his sloppy play against Nebraska.
Zero accountability…pic.twitter.com/shzum7b8U4
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 8, 2024
Since then, Shedeur seems to have moved on to the next game, as indicated by his X post, “New week let’s work.” But fans and analysts alike did not receive his reaction about blaming the O-line too kindly, and they called him out for his lack of accountability.
That said, while the quarterback’s popularity certainly seems to have taken a hit, another Colorado athlete is climbing his way up the NIL ladder.
Travis Hunter ties with Arch Manning in NIL valuation
The Buffs’ two-way star was visibly frustrated on Saturday after the team’s loss and was seen yelling while walking past coach Deion Sanders. Despite the defeat, his NIL profile remained strong, as the athlete saw a $321k increase, bringing him on par with Texas Longhorns’ backup QB, Arch Manning. Hunter now stands even with the sophomore at a valuation of $3.1 million.
Hunter has been emerging as a top contender in the NIL rankings since May when he received a major boost from his highly anticipated appearance on a video game cover. The cornerback became the face of EA Sports’ College Football 25 and quickly surpassed Manning in valuation with a valuation of $2.7 million.
However, the Texas star soon reclaimed his position with a deal with Panini America for his autographs on trading cards.
The two college players have been competing in rankings throughout this year and are considered top draft prospects after Sanders next year. As far as the Colorado Buffaloes are concerned, they’ll get a chance to shake off their last loss as they go head-to-head with their state rivals, Colorado State in Week 3.
