Rece Davis addresses viral Mel Kiper Jr. dispute over Shedeur Sanders: 'No animosity whatsover'

Shedeur Sanders‘ slide down the 2025 NFL Draft appeared to be just as frustrating for Mel Kiper Jr. as it was for Sanders himself. So much so that Kiper Jr.’s frustrations appeared to turn into an on-air spat between him and ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis.

After Sanders was selected No. 144 overall by the Cleveland Browns, Kiper Jr. explained how he believes the NFL has been ‘clueless‘ on how to evaluate quarterbacks over the last 50 years. Davis responded, agreeing with former NFL executive Louis Reddick, saying that their arguement was based on the fact that Sanders slid, and now he has to deal with it. Not that NFL teams made the right or wrong decision to draft him like Kiper was arguing. Davis has since publically addressed the situation following the NFL’s annual event.

“People can disagree, and still be very fond of each other and still like each other and still be laughing and joking in between sets during the commercial breaks,” Davis explained to his co-host, Pete Thamel on the College GameDay podcast. “We were [together] at the end, Mel’s not a touchy-feely kind of guy, but we, you know, kind of half hugged on the way out. But it wasn’t because, ‘Hey, let’s make up over disagreeing over the draft position of Shedeur Sanders.’

“It was more because we’ve worked the draft together the last few years. We like each other. We get along. We enjoy working together, but for whatever reason, we probably won’t lay eyes on each other until the 2026 NFL Draft. “So it was like, ‘Hey, hope everything’s great,’ … And, you know, there’s no animosity whatsoever.”

Davis explained further that he has learned by experience in some cases, hosts of a show need to stay in their lane. In the case of Shedeur Sanders, Rece Davis wasn’t going to question the NFL team’s decision not to draft him instead of debating his draft position.

“I’m not going to argue with Nick Saban about proper footwork for a cornerback. That’s absurd,” Davis continued. “But we can argue over whether a coach should have been fired, whether it’s wise to go for it on 4th & 7 from from your own 28 — whatever it might be, those types of things are fair game.”

It appears as though there are no hard feelings on Davis’ end following what appeared to be a tense on-air debate. Kiper Jr. has not publicly commented on the matter.