Projected first-round Colorado pick has been ‘best, most reliable’ Buff

Projected first-round NFL draft pick Shedeur Sanders has been the “best, most reliable” Colorado football player during the 2023 season through the first seven games according to BuffZone’s Pat Rooney.

“When it gets down to it, Sanders has been the team’s best, and most reliable, player by a wide margin all season,” Rooney prefaced before saying, “I’d still much prefer giving him a chance to convert than to trust the defense to make a stop, which is a big ask whether the D is starting at midfield or deep in enemy territory.”

If it weren’t for No. 2, the Buffs wouldn’t have a winning record and wouldn’t have surpassed their preseason over/under win total in the first half of the season. Through Week 7, Sanders has the most passing yards in the entire country.

Colorado football QB Shedeur Sanders is like 1980s-era John Elway: Analyst

Rooney gave Sanders the highest of compliments when he agreed with his colleague, BuffZone’s Brian Howell, about Coach Prime’s youngest son being similar to 1980s-era John Elway.

“My colleague Brian Howell recently made the comparison of Sanders to the 1980s-era John Elway with his ability to lift his entire team to victory in tight, late-game situations,” Rooney prefaced before saying, “It was a solid comparison on a number of fronts. Elway also carried otherwise mediocre Broncos teams to heights the team wouldn’t have even approached with a mediocre quarterback. Sanders is that guy for CU.”

While many think the Buffs’ days of shocking upsets are over in 2023, it should be noted that Sanders has a chance to have big games against a bottom-seven-ranked Oregon State defense in opponents’ yardage; and after that, a bottom-18-ranked Arizona defense.

If Colorado’s defense could pick up some of the slack, the Buffs may get the two wins needed to be a bowl-eligible program.