Remember when Colorado’s QB Shedeur Sanders topped the FBS list as the most sacked QB last season with 52? Still, he put up an above-average performance. What about this season? The Buffs are riding on the waves of three back-to-back wins with Shedeur leading 4-1. But will the Week 7 game against No. 18 Kansas State see him living up to his hype? 

An X post on October 12 featured Josh Pate voicing his thoughts on Shedeur Sanders and how he’s been a phenomenal force in Colorado’s wins this season. The whole talk points to a single message, which is: “Shedeur doesn’t get nearly enough respect for the level he plays at w/ what he deals with.” In the video, Pate said, “If any other quarterback were doing what Shedeur Sanders was doing right now, it would be possibly the story of college football but because he’s Deion Sanders’ son, the headline is he’s Deion’s son.”

Looking at the Buffs’ performance this season, most of the yards are earned through the air. Colorado’s rushing talent is very grim and their position at No. 126th in rushing yards per game speaks for itself. Josh Pate also mentioned the pressure Shedeur Sanders received with the Buffs ranking 108th in the nation in pressure rates allowed. He suffered 17 sacks in five games. 

Despite this tough situation, Shedeur’s accurate passes have dragged the Buffs to No. 9 in passing yards per game at 326 yards. So far, the 22-year-old has made 138 of 197 passes for 1,630 yards and 14 touchdowns, showing his hype as a QB and a potential Heisman Trophy contender.

Can Shedeur Sanders pitch for the Heisman?

The Heisman Trophy race is still on between the best CFB players in the nation. No doubt Shedeur Sanders has delivered some exceptional Heisman-worthy plays such as the 43-yard Hail Mary TD pass to LaJohntay Wester. He’s also among the top 12 in this coveted race but he faces stiff competition where predictions aren’t in his favor. 

In a competition where QBs are usually always the favorite to win, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty and Colorado’s WR/CB Travis Hunter are leading at No. 1 and 2 with QB Cam Ward trailing behind. Shedeur’s Heisman is now +4000 compared to Jeanty’s +200. But while the Heisman competition isn’t looking too bright for him right now, the future’s not ours to hold. But for the Buffs’ QB, the only important thing to do right now is to keep winning games, starting with the crucial upcoming Big 12 matchup against 4-1 Kansas State.