Vanderbilt transfer expected to be top Colorado football target next season

Denver Sports' Jake Shapiro sees incoming Vanderbilt transfer Will Sheppard being Shedeur Sanders' top target in the Colorado football offense, taking over the place of Xavier Weaver, who is out of eligibility.

"(Walter) Taylor follows stud wide-out Will Sheppard in ditching the Commodores’ black and gold for the duds in Boulder," Shapiro wrote. "Sheppard is expected to be the top target for CU’s star quarterback for Shedeur Sanders while Taylor is another candidate to back him up, joining another SEC quarterback transfer from this week in Destin Wade and youngster Ryan Staub."

Sheppard cleared his Commodores teammates in every major statistical category during the 2023 season. Interestingly enough, Shapiro had previously called Sheppard a potential decoy for Shedeur and Travis Hunter in 2024.

"Sanders set the record for passing yards in a season in school history and fell just shy of the program’s passing touchdown mark," Shapiro wrote. "He’ll have a chance to replicate that season and do even better, with more time in the pocket and less chance of being hit thanks to some giant bodies up front that his father has added to the roster. Both Sanders and Hunter should be Heisman candidates next season and the addition of Sheppard gives one another weapon and the other decoy to take some pressure off."

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As long as Shedeur is under center for CU, the Buffs will be a pass-heavy attack. Pat Shurmur's likely presence as offensive coordinator is geared toward instilling a pro-style offense to get Coach Prime's son acquainted with the way the pros play. Not only that, but Sean Lewis's play-calling was predictable for defenses after the first month.

Sheppard is absolutely stepping into a situation where he can put up eye-popping numbers from the jump, and shed any "decoy" label in his final collegiate campaign.