22 hours Ago By Joshua Rogers
Sheduer Sanders is the biggest name in college football right now. Sanders, who joined the Colorado Buffaloes with his father and head coach Deion Sanders prior to the 2023 season, is the early favorite to to be the top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. In August, the 22-year-old quarterback became the first college football player to sign a Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal with Nike.
The landmark legislation around NIL, introduced in July 2021, finally allowed student-athletes to make money from their associated brands for the first time in history while still being in college. It has seen Sanders lead all college athletes with an NIL valuation of $5.1 million, per On3 , beating the likes of LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne , Texas quarterbacks Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers, and Buffs teammate Travis Hunter.
Sheduer, along with older brother Shilo, a defensive back for Colorado, recently appeared on former NFL player Robert Griffin III's 'Outta Pocket' podcast to discuss their newfound wealth. During the discussion, RGIII mentioned that Shedeur showed up at the Buffs facility in his Rolls Royce Cullinan - worth $400,000. “Do you guys like NIL?," he asked as the three burst into laughter.
However, the tone quickly changed as Sanders revealed the pitfalls of his immense seven-figure wealth. Shedeur said, “I definitely love NIL, but there’s pros and cons to it though. You got to don’t feel like you made it already.
When you able to get whatever you want any time in life, then there’s like a lot of things don’t really interest you no more. “So you got to really get down to the core, what makes you happy? Which is the making the music, the chilling, the having luxury things and doing that type of stuff what makes you happy and of course being with the family. He then added, “Tax is not good.
” RGIII, who played eight seasons in the NFL, most notably for Washington, replied, “I don’t think a lot of people understand." "They’re gonna understand sooner or later," Shilo chimed in with. Griffin then asked the brothers whether the pay disparities among teammates could create tension within the Buffaloes locker room.
Shilo drives a Tesla Cyberbeast, bought by Sheduer and worth $100,000, and Griffin wondered if that might irk lesser-paid teammates. “It just depends on how you are. If you walking around being this big guy and all, then it’s all right, bro.
.. It’s not even worth all that,” Shedeur said, downplaying the potential for locker room drama.
“If I’m riding around in something, they going to be riding around in it too, basically. So it’s not really just like flexing or nothing,” Shilo explained. Shedeur's NIL valuation was projected at $4.
7 million heading into the 2024 season, but that figure has increased in recent months due to his deal with Nike. Last month, the son of Prime Time signed a deal with the powerhouse brand that includes officially licensed apparel and footwear. Prior to that, he already had lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Gatorade, Google, Urban Outfitters and EA Sports.
However, Shilo's case is a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when young athletes are given too much, too son. The Buffs safety is reportedly $11 million in debt and filed for bankruptcy in October 2023. Colorado are back in the Big 12 championship this season for the first time since 2010.
Sheduer, a potential Heisman winner, finished 36-of-49 passing for 310 yards and two touchdowns in a recent 28-9 win over the Colorado State Rams. The Buffaloes are 2-1 in the Big 12 so far and face the Baylor Bears next..
