Let’s face it: he has many fans, but Deion Sanders has a lot of haters, too. Regarded throughout his football career as “brash” and “arrogant“, Prime never let the detractors bother him — he flourished in spite of them, meriting enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame before transitioning to coaching and taking the job at the University of Colorado in 2023.
However, the long-held perceptions about Deion are now unmistakably impacting his son. Shedeur Sanders, Colorado‘s record-breaking quarterback the past two seasons, will learn his NFL Draft fate in roughly six weeks’ time — and though this class is considered “weak” on game-changing quarterback prospects, Shedeur finds himself at the center of a media firestorm that could see him tumble from the first round of the 2025 draft.
ESPN analyst rips Deion “smear campaign”
College football analyst Louis Riddick appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Tuesday to discuss the worsening perception around Shedeur, who too has had to combat the narrative that he is “brash and arrogant”, to the point where it could cost him millions of dollars on draft night next month.
“It doesn’t even start with Shedeur,” Riddick said. “This starts with his father and then it just trickles down to him.”
Shedeur Sanders ruffled plenty of feathers by refusing to participate in the Scouting Combine, denying scouts and executives one more chance to look at him in various passing drills. Shedeur‘s well-known love for jewelry, music, and podcasting amid the wealth of the NIL era in college athletics have made him an easy target — and, according to Riddick, just an extension of the vengeful column inches that continue to be dedicated to Deion, despite Coach Prime‘s success in turning around Colorado’s program.
“Shedeur is very smart, he can process like hell, he’s a good leader, he’s got good feet in the pocket. He throws a great ball, he has a lot of anticipation, and he’s tough as hell,” Riddick said. “He got the crap beat out of him at Colorado. I was at games and calling games where I’m sitting there looking at Deion, who is pleading, ‘Throw the ball away.'”
Draft day is not until April 24, and some analysts believe Shedeur is worth selecting within the first five picks of the opening round. However, those analysts may be in the minority — and wherever Shedeur goes in the pros, he will have an uphill battle to climb on more than one front.
