Shedeur Sanders finding solutions to protecting frame in the pocket

LAS VEGAS — After allowing 56 sacks last season, there’s no denying that Colorado needs better protection from the big boys up front, and no one understands that more than its’ starting quarterback.

Although Shedeur Sanders statistically produced a stellar campaign with 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdown tosses, the hits he absorbed took a toll on his body, and forced him to miss the final game of the year. Which is why pocket awareness continues to be a point of emphasis as the Buffaloes approach fall camp.

Sanders knows the offensive line can only block for so long until a play breaks down, then it’s a matter of seconds to decide what to do with the football. Often times he held onto the ball for too long, and ended up on the turf. Sanders found himself frustrated after he took several unnecessary hits.

Many analysts already consider Sanders to be the best quarterback prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft. Now he’ll have to prove to them how far along he has come in the pocket in terms of footwork, going through progressions and getting rid of the ball when protection collapses.

However, Sanders has no doubt that all eyes are going to be on him, and everything he does with the ball in his hands will be put under a microscope. What disappoints Sanders the most is when fans are too critical of the mistakes he makes, considering no one is perfect.

“There’s always room for improvement, but I honestly don’t really care about the opinions of people that haven’t played the game,” Sanders said. “You can tell me my footwork is bad, but you get out there and get sacked 50 times, and tell me how you feel and how your footwork is going to be.”

After all, the gunslinger just wants to execute every play to the best of his abilities. Coach Prime is holding up his side of the deal after adding more experience, and depth along the offensive line. It’s still going to be up to Sanders to make the adjustments on the fly, including calling audibles at the line of scrimmage, dumping the ball off to the running backs and getting out of bounds to avoid unnecessary contact.

“It starts adding up when real pressure applies, so something gotta change, and you have to find solutions,” he said. “I’m nowhere close to my ceiling, so that’s the difference between me and a lot of players, I got a long way to go.”

Sanders was the only quarterback that made the Media’s Preseason All-Big 12 Team last week, and realizes a big target on his back is what comes with the territory. He’s trying to be more of a leader this time around, and is a firm believer in great quarterbacks make others around them better. So Sanders is pushing his teammates to be the best that they can be, and everyone has the same goal in mind, which is to win.

“I don’t think we’re out there working out everyday to try to lose, that’s not what we’re trying to do,” the 22-year old said. “Obviously things happened last year to where we didn’t make that happen, but what I feel confident in is we’re all better versions of ourselves, and we have new and improved players.”

There was a huge difference between the team that won four of their first six games, and the squad that lost the final six contests. Sanders just wants to get off to a hot start again, like when he torched TCU’s defense for 510 yards through the air.

The early schedule is somewhat challenging, with giant killers North Dakota State to open up the season, Nebraska on the road under the lights, and the Rocky Mountain Showdown in Colorado Springs. All of those teams will try to get after Sanders, and he’ll need to keep his head on a swivel.

Most importantly, those first two games will be a great measuring stick to how far the Buffaloes have come with protecting Sanders, and his progression in pocket awareness. Regardless of the matter, he’s preparing to take everything game by game.

“It’s just two games, we just focus each game at a time, and it don’t really matter the name or the team.”