When Shedeur Sanders was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a surprisingly and excruciatingly long wait, the Colorado football program he left behind officially had to find a successor at the game’s most important position.

For two years, Sanders rewrote the record book of a proud and historically decorated program, racking up passing yards and touchdowns at a dizzying rate as he and his good friend, 2024 Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter , helped transform the Buffaloes from a 1-11 laughingstock to a nine-win team that was in contention for a College Football Playoff berth until the final week of November.

In all likelihood, Sanders’ sheer output couldn’t be replaced. But his father, third-year Colorado coach Deion Sanders , is tr

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