Colorado 48, UCF 21
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Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is one of the top quarterback prospects for the 2025 NFL Draft, and he continued to build his stack of quality tapes while taking on UCF. Sanders and superstar cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter are almost a two-man team that has to provide huge plays for Colorado to overcome its lack of talent on the offensive and defensive lines. The duo was able to come through again to get the Buffalos a road win in Orlando.
After an early interception, Sanders started heating up and carrying his team to produce a series of scoring drives before halftime. In the first half, Sanders hooked up with Hunter for a 23-yard touchdown and then laid out a tremendous deep ball where his receiver made an incredible diving catch for a 47-yard touchdown. At first, it looked like Sanders might have overthrown it for a potential interception, but Sheppard rewarded his quarterback with a fantastic diving catch. Late in the second quarter, Sanders held the ball a long time and dodged a sack before rolling to his left and rifling a ball downfield to Hunter for a gain of about 40 yards. In the third quarter, Sanders used his arm and legs to move the ball to set up some rushing touchdowns for Colorado. Sanders completed 28-of-35 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.
For the NFL, Sanders has the skill set to be a starting quarterback at the pro level. He is an accurate passer with excellent instincts, reads the field well, has a quality arm, and has some mobility to avoid sacks. Sanders will need to improve his internal clock for the next level, as he holds the ball too long and puts a lot of pressure on his offensive line. Part of that issue is Sanders trying to give his receivers time to get open, but regardless, he will need to get the ball out faster when he’s in the NFL. In this draft analyst’s opinion, Sanders is the top quarterback prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft and is worthy of going at the top of the first round.
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Hunter should join Sanders as one of the first players selected, and he provided more proof against UFC. In the second quarter, Hunter had tight man coverage on a go route down the sideline, and he used his fantastic ball skills to make a leaping pass breakup. Midway through the third quarter, Hunter was in zone coverage and read the eyes of K.J. Jefferson trying to throw a check down to the tight end. Hunter showed his burst to fly downhill and make a diving interception. Later in the fourth quarter, Hunter did not look great on a tackling effort on a play. However, to finish the drive, he combined with a teammate to stop at the half-yard line on fourth-and-goal to get the ball back for his offense.
Hunter is in the running to be the top prospect for the 2025 NFL Draft, regardless of position. As a corner, Hunter is a phenomenal athlete with excellent instincts, feel, agility in coverage, and amazing ball skills. He could be a No. 1 corner in the NFL that lines up against top receivers on a weekly basis. He also could be a starting wide receiver with size, speed, and excellent hands. Hunter might be used like a young Charles Woodson as a full-time corner and gadget receiver. Hunter looks like a top-five pick for the 2025 NFL Draft.
