The Colorado prodigy is constantly in the news, but not for all the right reasons. Relentless football fans scrutinize Shedeur Sanders over the sort of wealthy cars he owns or the things he says on social media. Still, his performance transcends all the ridicule and endless trolling when playing football.

Shedeur Sanders, the quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, had an exceptional season last year. Though he was nowhere close to being an elite player like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, he gave it his all in trying to take his team to the top, so much so that he became the nation’s most-sacked QB with 45 tackles. Now, he’s being predicted to be a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft by Gary Barnett, the former coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, who says that Shedeur is a player unlike any other.

Gary Barnett praises ‘special’ Shedeur Sanders

On the recent episode of the 365Sports show, Gary Barnett talked about all things football. He emphasized the talents and mentality of Shedeur and Travis Hunter, who are pivotal to the Buffaloes. He spoke highly of their skills, and seeing as how he’s been a coach for the Buffs for over seven years, Barnett’s opinion holds great value, especially for Buffs fans.

Barnett hopped on the praise train for Shedeur and made a bold prediction for the quarterback when he said, “Shedeur is a special player. He’s mobilizing where he needs to. He always carries himself really well, during the game and after the game as well. I think he’s a top-10 pick in the draft and one of the top-4 or 5 QBs in the country next year.” Thus, while the veteran coach has promising ambitions from Shedeur, they pale compared to the predictions that the current coach and his father, Deion, has already set for him, which is that he will be a top-5 pick.

Could Shedeur be a top-5 pick?

When it comes to Deion Sanders, the answer is a resounding yes. Deion has already predicted a top-5 future for both Shedeur and Travis, and their potential is undeniable. Let’s analyze this possibility through the performance Shedeur has exhibited so far. With the young quarterback set to improve upon his 2023 stats this season, there’s a lot to be hopeful for in the future of the Buffaloes.

Shedeur threw out over 300 yards per game with only three interceptions in a staggering 430 attempts. The QB also had a 69% pass completion rate while tragically suffering 21 drops by the team’s WRs. Additionally, the 27 touchdown passes that Shedeur made ranked No. 12 in the country despite leading a poor team with a poor win record that has been under constant pressure. Shedeur possesses an incredible arm to make the throws, but if he is to make it to the list of the top-5 draft picks, he will have to complete his passes better and ensure that he throws them out to the right players. That being said, Shedeur is right up there with the likes of Quinn Ewers and Carson Beck this year, and all of them could be a part of the top-5 picks in the draft, but only if they maintain consistency throughout this season.