“I don’t think Shedeur would be the quarterback he is if he had that,” Sanders said. “Because now he has to really use the intellect and the instinct and the understanding of the game and the understanding defenses.” Sanders said he believes that ups and downs Shedeur has struggled through have only served to turn him into a better player.

Shedeur Sanders was one of the best players throughout the season. Although the Heisman Trophy went to his teammate Travis Hunter, he did earn the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Big 12 Player of the Year. In total, the quarterback threw for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding another four scores on the ground.

At April's NFL draft, the world will be Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders's oyster. Sanders is widely expected to be one of the first two quarterbacks off the board, and conditions are ripe for a leverage play: demand at the position is sky-high,

In Athlon Sports' Luke Easterling's latest NFL mock draft, Sanders is picked by the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 overall--the second quarterback taken in the draft behind Miami's Cam Ward to the New York Giants at No. 3.