The son of Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders has emerged from his father’s shadow after four strong seasons as a collegiate starter and is widely expected to be one of the two best QBs in the 2025 class.
Before entering the NFL Draft, where did Sanders go to school, and how did he climb draft boards to become a first-rounder? Here’s everything you need to know about the NFL‘s potential next big QB and his journey to the NFL.
How Tall Is Shedeur Sanders?
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Sanders measured a little over 6’1”. For comparison, the average NFL quarterback is a little under 6’3″, so Sanders is slightly below the average height.
The tallest active quarterback in the NFL is Jacksonville Jaguars star Trevor Lawrence, who is 6’6″, alongside the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert. The shortest active QBs are Bryce Young and Kyler Murray at 5’10”.
How Much Does Sanders Weigh?
Sanders weighed in at 212 pounds, which is way below the average at his position (221 pounds). The heaviest active NFL QB is Jameis Winston, who weighs 244 pounds.
How Old Is Sanders?
Born on Feb. 7, 2002, Sanders is 23 years old. With this year’s draft class having a higher average age, Sanders is about average in age in his class.
What School Did Sanders Go To?
One of five children of Prime Time, Sanders started making a name for himself in high school as the starting quarterback for Trinity Christian School in Cedar Hill, Texas. In 2020, he completed 251 of his 366 passing attempts for 3,702 yards and 43 touchdowns. His father, Coach Prime, served as the school’s offensive coordinator.
Sanders finished his high school career with 12,498 yards and 166 touchdowns and was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He committed to Jackson State, an FCS school and an HBCU program that has produced four Pro Football Hall of Famers.
Sanders had initially committed to Florida Atlantic, but once his father became the head coach at Jackson State, he flipped the programs.
Revisiting Sanders’ College Career
Initially ineligible to play in Jackson State’s COVID-19-abbreviated 2021 spring season, Sanders took on the job as the Tigers’ starting quarterback in the fall of 2021. Jackson State went just 4-8 in 2019, and although there was some improvement with Coach Prime at the helm in the spring campaign (4-3), there was still a lot of work to be done.
With Sanders at quarterback and his father as head coach, Jackson State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference and finished the year 11-2. As a true freshman, Sanders threw for 3,231 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a completion percentage of 65.9%. He won the Jerry Rice Award in 2021 as the best freshman player in the FCS.
He started again the following year, improving to 3,732 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and six interceptions with a 70.6% completion percentage. Jackson State as a team also improved in 2022, going 12-1 and narrowly losing the Celebration Bowl to North Carolina Central in overtime. In addition to finishing as the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, Sanders also earned the Deacon Jones Trophy as the top HBCU player in the nation.
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When Coach Prime took the head coaching job at Colorado, his son soon followed after a brief stint in the transfer portal. Though the signal caller had a solid 2023 campaign, the Buffaloes fell short of expectations with a 4-8 record. There was an individual success to be found in his jump from the FCS to the then-Power Five level, as he threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just three interceptions with a 69.3% completion percentage.
Although Sanders garnered buzz as a potential prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft, he decided to return to Colorado for his senior year of college. That decision proved to be a fruitful one, as both he and the Buffaloes saw improvements over the previous year.
Colorado went 9-4 and finished the regular season ranked in the AP Poll Top 25. Sanders increased his numbers to 4,134 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns, and 10 interceptions with a career-high 74.0% completion percentage. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 for his efforts.
How Fast Was Sanders’ 40-Yard Dash?
Sanders didn’t participate in the on-field drills at the NFL Combine. However, according to NFL Draft Buzz, his 40-yard dash time is estimated to be 4.63 seconds. That time would put Sanders as the third-fastest QB among those who ran at the Combine, though only three signal-callers ran.
Sanders’ NFL Draft Outlook
In PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Bentley Weissman, Sanders is projected to be picked third overall by the New York Giants. Here’s what Weissman wrote about the projection:
“The New York Giants have signed Jameis Winston and Russell Wilson, so why would they take Sanders? The answer is simple: Neither Winston nor Wilson will be the answer, and the Giants must take a swing when given the opportunity,” Weissman said.
“I think this is a bit high for Sanders, but as we know, quarterback inflation is high. There aren’t enough options in the draft, so players like Sanders naturally get moved up. All that to say, Sanders is an accurate passer who can thrive in Brian Daboll’s offense.”
