Shedeur Sanders has officially entered the “Tank for Shedeur” era of his career, which has become a spectacle sweeping through NFL fan bases as the Colorado quarterback prepares for the professional ranks. Sanders is set to play his final game in a Buffaloes uniform against BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28, and he is projected to be a top-five draft pick and the first quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Across NFL stadiums, fans have begun bringing “Tank for Shedeur” signs to demand that their struggling lose games in the hope they can land the Colorado product, who has been groomed under the close protection of his Hall of Fame father and coach, Deion Sanders. Even as the Buffs wrapped up a 9-3 regular season, a significant improvement from last year’s 4-8 record and a single-win season the year before Coach Prime’s arrival, the focus on Shedeur’s next chapter continues to dominate draft projections.

One of the most recognized fan-made signs appeared during the Las Vegas Raiders Week 16 home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Raiders fans, who survived a 10-game losing streak before defeating Jacksonville 19-14, were vocal about their frustration with the victory potentially diminishing their chances of securing a top draft pick.

In their eyes, losing might have been the better path to land Sanders as the franchise quarterback. Sanders addressed the growing “Tank for Shedeur” phenomenon during a recent episode of his Overtime podcast.

The college QB reflected on the surreal nature of even seeing his name appearing on fan signs across the league. “Man, when I saw that on TV, I was like, ‘Bro, this is crazy,'” Sanders said with a mix of gratitude and disbelief. “I’m actually out here doing it, you know? You’re so stuck in the moment that you don’t really see what you’re doing from an outside point of view.”

He continued, saying, “Sometimes you forget because your mind is on different things, achievements, goals, etc. So whenever you see a fan who took time out of their day to bring that sign, and then it’s on TV, it’s just like, ‘Dang, this feels real now, it’s different.” With the next level approaching, everything’s getting more serious for teams, and it’s just a wild feeling.”

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders and son Shedeur Sanders

Deion Sanders thinks Shedeur will be drafted first overall ( 

Image:

Getty Images)

Fox Sports’ mock draft has Sanders going No. 6 overall to the Raiders in hopes of the incoming rookie following up on the recent immediate runs of success that Houston got with CJ Stroud and Washington with Jayden Daniels. CBS has the Buffs QB going third overall behind Cam Ward and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Sanders finished the 2024 season with 3,926 yards, 35 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. His 78.3 QBR was the 15th-best in the nation. Coach Prime believes his son will be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft. “Shedeur’s going to be the No. 1 pick,” Sanders said on the Pacman Jones show. Even when presented with the possibility that the Giants would have the pick, Sanders was sure that his kid would hear his name first on draft night.