Shedeur Sanders shares how much his professional career motivates him in 2024

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders won’t just enter the 2024 college football season as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but one of the top prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft following his breakout debut season for the Buffaloes.

During Colorado’s spring press conference, Sanders was asked if the upcoming football season has any extra motivation given the NFL stakes on the line. As the light of the tunnel is approaching on his college career ahead of his senior season in Boulder.

“Nah. I’ve been seeing the light since day one, since I’ve been in college overall, since when I got to the platform and I came from a private school,” Sanders said. “So at the end of the day I dealt with a lot of negativity, a lot of hate, a lot of everything I done dealt with already year after year.”

“I came from a small private school, all the other kids were going big, Power Five, and they went to big Texas, 6A schools and stuff. I don’t see those same kids around, I don’t see them excelling in their programs in their programs or whatever they’re doing. So I’ve always been against the odds in different ways.”

Being the son of football legend Deion Sanders certainly comes with its perks, but it didn’t necessarily help Shedeur Sanders as a high school recruit.

Sanders attended high school at Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas. Where he was a three-star prospect ranked the No. 411 overall prospect and the No. 33 overall quarterback for the 2021 recruiting class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He went the unconventional route, attending HBCU Jackson State to play under his father. Throwing for 6,963 yards and 70 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Tigers before following his dad once more to Colorado.

“So then whenever I got to Jackson State, I understand. I played my first year and I felt like everything’s building me up, each year and each year I’m improving different things, adding different things to my bag,” Sanders explained. “So it’s no extra motivation because I’ve been seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, it’s just now y’all are able to see it. Like you could check the stats year after year after year and they’re improving. Everything’s going good.”

Sanders completed 69.3% of his passes last season for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just three interceptions. Also adding four rushing scores to his stat line in his first season at the FBS level where he was the most-sacked quarterback in college football. Revealing that he didn’t consider declaring for this year’s NFL Draft following Colorado’s 4-8 finish last year.

“Nah, it didn’t end the right way. So I couldn’t leave on that note, it didn’t feel right overall,” Sanders concluded.

It’s clear the NFL is not Sanders’ biggest motivation, as he’ll look to continue living up to the namesake of his father this upcoming season by taking Colorado to new heights as they join the Big 12. While also hopefully raising his NFL Draft stock along the way as well.