Shedeur Sanders is lucky. Why, you ask? The quarterback has received the support of NFL veteran Louis Riddick. The legendary safety couldn’t help but sing the praises of the Colorado Buffaloes QB sensation. Shedeur is navigating choppy waters since his talents were questioned, particularly after the ex-Buffs head coach, Gavin Kuld, exposed Deion Sanders’ son for his lavish lifestyle.

But coming from someone as prominent as Riddick, it’s believed that Shedeur’s talents will catapult him to glory, overcoming the nepotism allegations that came as a roadblock. In that case, will Riddick’s endorsement overturn the narrative and boost Shedeur’s stock in the 2025 NFL Draft?

Riddick weighs in to defend Shedeur’s talents

The transfer portal has been one rough ride for the father-son duo. Critics didn’t hold back when it came to Shedeur, just like they didn’t spare Deion Sanders for his behavior toward some former Buff players like Cormani McClain and Xavier Worthy. The QB was held at the gun’s end for the lavish lifestyle he lives. Here, the ex-backup QB, Kuld, claimed to have received a cold shoulder from Shedeur. As a reaction to the alleged silent treatment he received, here came the Buffs transfer’s caustic jab at Shedeur, “Look at Arizona, look at (Noah) Fifita, he did with all his money…look at Colorado this guy has got six cars and an apartment.” Months later, Riddick is here to dismiss the claim.

On the ESPN NFL podcast, the legendary safety comes with a plea for the college football fans, “Do not get it twisted, do not get jaded by the fact that the flash, the symbols, he puts the watch up and all the cars and the NIL deals, in who is that he is.” With this came his biggest claim, “This kid’s a baller, he is a baller. If he has some help, he’s gonna light college football on fire.” Is Riddick, along with multiple others, living by the hope of witnessing Shedeur ending his last lap of college football with a bang?

Shedeur’s final push in college football

To ensure that everybody remembers his last run in college football, Shedeur is definitely training himself like a rock to make up for being the most sacked player last season. Apart from his physical talents, the QB is prepping himself up mentally. When asked about his goals, he replied, “To really be the greatest quarterback ever. And to do stuff in a different way than the traditional way. My goal is to really just be somebody that every kid can relate to — because they saw my whole journey, they’ve seen everything and I’m not going to ever lie to anybody and I’m a genuine person.” Shedeur, running high in motivation, appears a silver lining to the otherwise pessimistic reality.

The credit is due to CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, who came up with his mock draft. To everyone’s surprise, it turned out to be concerning for Shedeur. Instead of No. 1, the quarterback has been pushed to the No. 3 position. Adding to the QB’s woes, the Buffs’ dual threat, Travis Hunter, is believed to land ahead of Shedeur.

Is it because of Deion Sanders’s son’s concerning 25.1% pressure-to-sack rate? Or is it a repercussion of the scrutiny and potential biases in the NFL Draft due to his famous father and the expectations associated with his surname? We simply do not know. What is known is now that Riddick lauds Shedeur with glowing remarks, chances are supreme that his NFL draft stocks can see an uptick.