The Miami Hurricanes had a breathtaking season in 2024. The team steamrolled opponents like Florida, FSU, and Louisville for fun and finally gained the momentum to be a winning team. The reason? There were several, but the signal caller Cam Ward exceeded all expectations, made it to the Heisman ceremony, and became a legend in the Canes’ history books. Now more than 2,000 miles from Miami, in Boulder is another QB, lighting up the charts game after game and giving a challenge to Cam Ward’s NFL throne.

Shedeur Sanders helped Colorado finish with a 9-4 season, a feat unseen in the Buffs’ history. The QB played every game like his life depended on it and notched up more than 4,000+ yards at the back of his performances. This was a QB not just making his name in college football but making scouts’ working days even longer. The battle between the QBs might have begun on the East Coast with Cam Ward’s heroics, but it can surely have its culmination in the Mountain West with Shedeur closing the deal. But who will edge whom?

Both Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward topped their respective charts last season. Ward finished with 4,123 passing yards at a 68.7% efficiency and gave just 7 interceptions. Currently, the quarterback is widely touted as the first pick in the draft, going to the Tennessee Titans, who have the first pick this year. While no quarterback can be outright said to be superior to the other, Cam Ward certainly has some aspects where he looks quite different from the Buffaloes quarterback. For instance, Ward’s sack avoidance, even when facing teams like Florida, was exceptional, and he finished with around 22 sacks last season. But what about Shedeur?

Well, the Buffs QB, in a recent interview with Maxx Corby in his ‘The Rush’ podcast, highlighted a similar thing about him and Cam Ward. The QB was asked what he thinks of Cam Ward amidst the draft competition. “Two of the best guys in the class being able to work together and pull different things from each other’s game kind off. It’s real positive, and it’s kind of like we have two different styles of play, so it’s not really comparing one to the other because our styles are different.”

Shedeur Sanders is certainly a different player than Cam Ward. There are some areas, like his sack susceptibility (42 sacks), that are concerning, with some issues with deep ball accuracy. However, the quarterback has other traits to back up his case. He is one of the most precise passers in this draft class, with just 6.5% of his passes going off-target last season. Moreover, the QB’s ability to deliver accurately (84.9% accuracy) in open windows is something unmatched in the draft class. Add to that his confidence and big-game awareness, which make him one of the most exciting draft prospects.

Shedeur Sanders flexes $233.5 billion to Cam Ward’s jab

Both Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward have probably learned from each other throughout the 2024 season. And will surely look ready for the 2025 rookie year in the NFL. Shedeur even talked about the competition with Cam Ward in their rookie year in the NFL this year. However, the two QBs have met earlier, too, and faced off in a friendly yet heated banter.

Both QBs were throwing passes in a drill posted in February on the NFL’s Instagram account. Just as Shedeur Sanders was going to take a break after throwing, Ward remarked, “Hope you’re not getting water; we just had the first drill; oh, that’s how you feel? To get water, we ain’t done with the first drill. That’s how it is at Colorado, though; that’s what it is like for a nine-win man!!”. The 9-4 season remark sure stung Shedeur, who gave a befitting reply, flexing his NIL achievement.

“I didn’t have water; I drink Gatorade, s–t I get paid for it.” Well, that was some reply since Shedeur had landed an NIL deal with the $233.5 billion company Gatorade in January 2022. The deal put Shedeur in an elite club of athletes with Serena Williams, J.J. Watt, and Trevor Lawrence. Both the QBs’ banter does seem lively and healthy, and we certainly can’t wait for the draft to roll in and actually see Shedeur and Ward battling it out on the gridiron.