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Shedeur Sanders' NFL Draft Status Debated By CFB Fans in Deion, Colorado's Bowl Loss

Julia Stumbaugh

Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter have played their last game for Colorado.

The Buffaloes stars' college careers ended on Saturday night with a 36-14 loss to BYU in the 2024 Alamo Bowl.

The contest in San Antonio was an emotional occasion for head coach Deion Sanders, who coached his sons Shilo and Shedeur Sanders for the last time in their college careers.

But the occasion ended in a blowout loss for Sanders' team, highlighted by his son's 43-yard touchdown pass to Hunter in the third quarter.

A dominant performance by the BYU defense was capped off when Sanders was picked off in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker celebrated by imitating Deion Sanders' signature touchdown dance.

Sanders recorded the final touchdown pass of his college career with a short throw to Sav'ell Smalls in the final minutes of the loss.

A bowl game loss won't stop Colorado's starting quarterback and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at aiming for a spot in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft this April.

Sanders has made it clear that he wants to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, a goal he emphasized by wearing custom New York Giants cleats ahead of the bowl game.

That earned Sanders some ribbing from fans after he moved the Buffs back 23 yards on a sack that put his team out of field goal range in the second quarter.

Sanders finished the game having taken four sacks as his struggles with pressure from the BYU defense led some viewers to question how high he will go in the upcoming draft.

Other fans were impressed by Sanders' decision to stay in until the end of the blowout, especially in the light of prospective top pick Cam Ward's decision to sit out the second half of Saturday's Pop-Tarts bowl after setting the all-time DI career touchdown pass record in the first.

Miami went on to lose 42-41 to Iowa State with Ward on the sideline.

Hunter recorded four receptions, including the second-quarter touchdown catch, to rack up triple digit receiving yards for the eighth time this season.

Whatever the results of the upcoming draft, Sanders and Hunter will depart from Deion Sanders' program having successfully led the Buffaloes from a 1-11 season two years ago to a winning record and bowl game this winter.

   

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