Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders returned to Colorado over the weekend for a milestone that had nothing to do with football.
Sanders walked at the University of Colorado graduation ceremony at Folsom Field, earning a sociology degree.
“What’s up? We at graduation,” Sanders said, standing with other students. “It’s called excellence, man. It’s excellence.”
Sanders finished with a 3.9 GPA, per Athlon Sports. Before putting on his cap and gown, Sanders paid homage to his father, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, by recreating one of his most iconic images — the pre-Super Bowl XXIX photo of Deion watching film with his San Francisco 49ers uniform laid out on the ground beside him. Shedeur mirrored the moment in his own way ahead of the ceremony.
Shedeur completed his degree requirements almost entirely through online coursework — a detail his father addressed publicly in 2024 on the Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.
“Ain’t none of them on campus, ’cause things have changed,” Deion Sanders said. “Everybody is taking classes online and they graduate. Shedeur has never taken a class on campus in his whole college career.”
Shedeur Sanders Has Number Retired by Colorado
Sanders left Colorado as one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in program history. In two seasons with the Buffaloes, he completed 651-of-907 passes for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. His 71.8 career completion percentage at Colorado stands as an FBS record.
He won the Johnny Unitas Award in 2024 as the top quarterback in college football and was the unanimous Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Colorado retired his No. 2 jersey, as well the No. 12 of Heisman winner Travis Hunter. It was somewhat controversial but Deion Sanders explained the decision for the move.
“I saw them, and I looked in both their eyes. I know they were pleased, they were thankful and they were proud. And that means a lot to me. I’m one of those type of guys who I’m going to tell you how I feel right off the rip. You know?” Deion Sanders said. “I’m not gonna really wait, so I give you your flowers now. I’m not gonna wait 20 years down the street, then bring you back when you’re limping, you can barely walk, or because some tragedy happens to recognize your greatness and what you contributed to this program.”
Shedeur Sanders Focused on Browns QB Competition
With the ceremony behind him, Sanders turns his attention back to Cleveland, where a quarterback competition awaits. Sanders finished his rookie season 3-4 as a starter, throwing for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Sanders is competing primarily with Deshaun Watson for the starting job. Watson returns after missing a full season following two Achilles surgeries. He’s heading into the final year of his full guaranteed, $230 million contract with the Browns.
Watson has the edge in the competition after a handful of practices, per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com. The longtime Brows insider urged the team to name Watson the starter as soon as possible.
“With my breaking news here that Deshaun Watson has taken the lead over Shedeur Sanders in the Browns QB competition and has the inside track to win it, I think they should declare him QB1 asap and let the 1st team offense start to cook,” Cabot said on X. “There’s no time to waste.”
The Browns have not released an official depth chart and likely want to see more from the two passers in Todd Monken’s new system before making conclusions.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Announces Major Life Update