Star Colorado transfer staying for second year would be ‘huge leap’

Shedeur Sanders staying for a second season in Boulder would be a “huge leap” for the Colorado football program in terms of talent and success — this, at least, according to Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy.

“Coach Sanders is working hard to build a successful program at Colorado but that roster needs a ton of work,” Popejoy prefaced before saying, “He could go into year two and have improvements at multiple positions but be forced to start over at quarterback. If the younger Sanders stayed one more year, it would be a huge leap for the program in terms of talent and success.”

Sanders has been the leading passer in the country during the 2023 season, owning a 119-yard advantage over Washington’s Michael Penix through Week 7. With the Huskies having already had their bye week, it’s all but a certainty that UW’s Heisman candidate will be ahead of Sanders by the Buffs’ next game against UCLA on October 28 after CU’s bye week.

Colorado football will not replicate success without a proper Shedeur Sanders replacement

Four wins through the first six games of the 2023 season was and is a significant victory for the Buffs, but for this program to keep even that pace in the coming years — with a jump to the Big 12 providing a less top-heavy conference, but tougher competition on the regular — they will need someone in line under center for whenever No. 2 does make his eventual NFL jump.

The odds are high that Sanders will be back in 2024, but a 2025 quarterback needs to be Coach Prime’s focus no matter what. If the Buffs aren’t in on anyone significant at the position, perhaps the writing would be on the wall for a job jump for “Prime Time.”

CU’s quarterback situation moving forward could be a bellwether for how long Coach Prime will be in Boulder.