How Shedeur Sanders leads college football in passing yards — and sacks taken
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Late in the third quarter last Saturday, Colorado trailed Arizona State 17-14 with the offense near midfield facing second-and-3.
The previous Buffaloes possession had ended like so many others this season, with quarterback Shedeur Sanders getting sacked behind a patchwork offensive line. Three Sun Devils defenders converged on Sanders for the sack and he walked off the field with one of his shoulder pads exposed.
The next drive would be different, though, as Sanders sensed the rush and scrambled upfield for a first down. He ended the run by lowering his shoulder into ASU defensive back Jordan Clark. The message Sanders sent was twofold — both to his teammates and his opponent.
“That was really a scare tactic,” he said. “They know I’m going to lower my shoulder, so they’re not going to think anything sweet with me.”
Colorado went on to win 27-24, improving to 4-2 thanks in large part to its quarterback. But the question moving forward becomes: How long can he endure the pummeling he takes in the pocket?
“If Colorado didn’t have Shedeur, they wouldn’t win a game, point blank, it’s that simple,” a Power 5 coach told ESPN. “He’s getting killed, though. I feel bad. He’s such a tough kid.”
Sanders, the youngest son of Colorado coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, leads college football in passing yards (2,020). He set Colorado’s single-game team passing record (510 yards) in his Buffaloes debut at TCU. He has helped Colorado overcome slow starts, particularly during an overtime win against Colorado State, and last week at Arizona State. He rallied his team from a 34-7 deficit to within a single score against USC.
Sanders also enters Friday night’s home game against Stanford (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) leading the nation in getting sacked — 30 times in six games, four more than second place. He has four games of 348 passing yards or more and three with four touchdown passes, but has been sacked at least three times in every contest — eight in a win over Nebraska and seven in a loss to Oregon.
One of the nation’s most valuable quarterbacks is also among the most at-risk.
“It’s hard to be a successful quarterback when you have people hitting you,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning told ESPN. “He’s done a phenomenal job of still having success, still playing really well, in spite of being hit.”
The hits and sack numbers for Sanders are staggering. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Sanders is the first player in the past 20 seasons to lead the FBS in passing yards and sacks taken through six games (West Virginia’s Will Grier was third in both categories in 2018). He’s the first player to be sacked 30 times in the first six games since Idaho’s Matt Linehan in 2014, and has absorbed the most hits (93) of any FBS quarterback through six games in the past five seasons.
Sanders is on pace to tie the FBS single-season record for being sacked at 60 — currently owned by Pitt’s Tino Sunseri in 2011 (the NCAA began to recognize sacks as an official statistic in 2000).
“The hardest thing to do in sports is quarterback when you’re not protected always,” Stanford coach Troy Taylor, a quarterback at Cal and in the NFL, told ESPN. “He’s protected sometimes, just not always. To be able to go back with the intention to get good protection every time, and continue to compete and keep your eyes downfield, what he’s done is incredible. He’s taken a number of hits and he just keeps playing.”
The mounting hits, while confirming Sanders’ mettle, are also a source of concern. Arizona State sacked Sanders five times, including twice on the opening possession. Deion Sanders opened his news conference by saying he’s “sick of this,” adding, “How do you start out a game like that, with a quarterback like this?”
Asked about Shedeur sitting alone on the bench at one point during the game, Deion said, “He’s upset with the way it’s going, he’s upset with hit after hit after hit. You think he’s happy being the most-sacked guy … in college football, and he’s still doing what he’s capable of doing? He’s sick of it.”
Shedeur downplayed frustration in those moments, saying he was focused on not holding the ball too long, and ultimately switching into “legendary mode” to lead a scoring push. He hasn’t blamed Colorado’s offensive line or anyone for the sacks and hits. The junior has acknowledged being sore, but always with a smile.
After the USC game, he said his ankle “hurts a little bit, I ain’t gonna lie,” before pivoting to how his shins are often swollen because he was “a clumsy kid” who banged them on desks in school. Days later, he admitted taking an ice bath for nearly an hour following the USC loss.
“Shedeur don’t complain,” Deion Sanders said this week. “It’s easy for him to sit up here and say, ‘I’m getting hit left, right, in between.’ I know he’s sore, because he’s in a hot tub and he’s doing things to make sure his body is straight. But he does not complain. He’s not gonna throw his linemen under the bus. He’s not gonna do any of that, that’s just who he is.”
Deion Sanders raised his sons to approach the game that way — to not blame their struggles on others. Shedeur always played quarterback and Deion, one of the best ever to defend QBs, would whiteboard defenses for him at their home. The details of the game mattered, and so did the pressures it presented.
“He’s a darn Sanders,” Deion said of Shedeur. “That was understood around the crib that you’re gonna be mentally and physically tough.”
Darrell Colbert Jr. teamed with Shedeur’s brother, Deion Sanders Jr., at SMU in 2014 and 2015 and remembered Shedeur, then in middle school, coming by to throw passes. Colbert began training quarterbacks in Houston after he finished playing, and started working with Shedeur in 2019.
Colbert is shocked by the number of hits Sanders has taken this season — “They said he had been hit 55 times in [the first] three games, which is literally crazy,” he said — but not by Sanders getting up each time.
“I’ve seen him take some hits over the years and bounce right back up,” said Colbert, who has attended every Colorado game. “I knew taking a few sacks each game, getting tackled, none of that was going to stop him from performing. That’s just the type of guy he is, a tough guy.”
One of the reasons Sanders has endured so many sacks is the offseason roster flip at Colorado. Deion Sanders upgraded several positions, namely quarterback, but left Colorado’s offensive line dangerously thin entering the season. Veterans such as Jake Wiley (UCLA), Casey Roddick (Florida State) and Austin Johnson (Purdue) transferred, and Colorado’s incoming transfers, while solid players, weren’t overly decorated.
Colorado has had three linemen start every game, including tackles Gerad Christian-Lichtenhan and Savion Washington, and two others are set to start their fifth game tonight. Coordinator Sean Lewis’ scheme features quick passes, but also a lot of them. Sanders leads the FBS in dropbacks per game at 51.5, five more than the next-highest QB (Hawai’i’s Brayden Schager). Colorado ranks fourth nationally in passing attempts, but its pressure rate — the percentage of dropbacks where the quarterback is sacked, under duress or hit — is only 23rd highest at 38.1%.
Stanford enters tonight’s game with just eight sacks, tied for 104th nationally, but sophomore outside linebacker David Bailey has four.
“Pass rush is going to be a huge factor,” Taylor said, “and then being able to keep him in the pocket and stand back there.”
Like any quarterback, Sanders is responsible for some of the sacks and pressures. He spoke before the ASU game about needing to “quicken up” and gain greater comfort in the offense. Although Sanders has mobility and has gained 221 yards with three rushing touchdowns, his preference is to operate from the pocket.
“The last thing he wants to do is take off running,” Colbert said. “A lot of times, people see [a defender] coming free, so you take off and run … but what he does is stay in the pocket, takes the heat if he has to, or tries to make people miss in the pocket and keeps his eyes down the field to find an open guy. We talk about it, but that’s just who he is.”
But how long can Sanders maintain the combination of production and pain? He’s sturdy at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, but every hit increases the risk for injury. Sanders understands the need to be both smart and tough.
He texts regularly with Tom Brady, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, and also has talked with Colorado analyst Pat Shurmur, the former New York Giants and Cleveland Browns coach, about preserving himself despite the punishment.
“He’s had a lot of quarterbacks in the [NFL], and was like, ‘The best quarterbacks can stay healthy,'” Sanders said of Shurmur. “That’s the main thing, just investing your time in things that matter, which is your health, and doing the daily things to make sure you’re proactive and not reactive.”
Deion Sanders made it clear after the ASU win that Colorado’s habits, namely starting slowly and not protecting Shedeur, will need to change down the stretch. The Buffaloes are “waiting on him to put on his cape and do what he does,” which has equated to a solid start, but might not be a sustainable formula for the second half of the season. The last quarterback to finish in the top three in both passing and being sacked, New Mexico State’s Chase Holbrook in 2006, was part of a team that went 4-8.
Colorado could look to become more balanced on offense. Running back Alton McCaskill, a first-team All-AAC selection at Houston who missed all of last season with an ACL injury, is set to take on a bigger role alongside Dylan Edwards and Anthony Hankerson.
But when games are on the line, Sanders wants the ball in his hands, in the pocket, looking to make a play and deal with whatever comes his way.
“It’s just something that kicks in,” Sanders said. “Losing’s just not in me.”
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Adam Rittenberg
Cincinnati freshman football player Jeremiah Kelly, an early enrollee who went through spring practice with the team, died unexpectedly Tuesday morning at his residence.
The school didn’t disclose a cause of death.
Kelly, an 18-year-old offensive lineman from Avon, Ohio, helped his high school team to a 16-0 record and a state championship last fall.
“The Bearcats football family is heartbroken by the sudden loss of this outstanding young man,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said in a statement. “In the short time Jeremiah has spent with our team, he has made a real impact, both on the field and in our locker room. My prayers are with the Kelly family and those who had the pleasure of knowing Jeremiah.”
Cincinnati completed its spring practice session last week.
“We’ve suffered a heartbreaking loss today,” Cincinnati athletic director John Cunningham said in a statement. “All of us at UC send our love and prayers to the Kelly family and we will do everything that we can to support them and our Bearcats student-athletes in the difficult days and weeks ahead.”
Seven of eight first-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs have begun, and No. 8 gets rolling on Tuesday.
The Battle of Florida between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers begins anew (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), with both clubs looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender if they can survive the intrastate showdown.
Cats-Bolts is the third game of four Tuesday on the ESPN family of networks, following New Jersey–Carolina (6 p.m. ET, ESPN) and Ottawa–Toronto (7:30 p.m., ESPN2), and preceding the nightcap, Minnesota–Vegas (11 p.m. ET, ESPN).
What are the key storylines heading into Tuesday’s games? Who are the key players to watch?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down Monday night, and the Three Stars of Monday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 2 (CAR leads 1-0) | 6 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 1 sure did not go as planned for the Devils. A win at the legendarily loud Lenovo Center would’ve been stretching it, but losing Brenden Dillon, Cody Glass and Luke Hughes to injury was not an ideal outcome either.
They’ll hope to rebound Tuesday before the series shifts to Newark. Closing the shot attempt differential might help, as the famously possession-savvy Hurricanes held a 45-24 edge on shots on goal in Game 1.
For years, the knock on Carolina was that it lacked that one goal scorer who could get the Canes over the hump in the playoffs. Many observers thought the Canes had acquired such a player in Mikko Rantanen in January. Ironically, it was the player Carolina acquired in its subsequent trade of Rantanen to Dallas — Logan Stankoven — who scored two goals in Game 1. Will he add to that total in Game 2?
Of note heading into Tuesday’s game, the Devils have come back to win a playoff series after losing the first game 11 out of 26 times (42%); that figure drops to 20% if they fall behind 0-2. The Hurricanes have won six of their past seven series after winning Game 1.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 2 (TOR leads 1-0) | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
The atmosphere was intense for Game 1, and the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four” led the way: Mitch Marner (one goal, two assists), William Nylander (one goal, one assist), John Tavares (one goal, one assist) and Auston Matthews (two assists) each filled up the scoresheet. A continuation of that output will obviously help Toronto overwhelm its provincial neighbor.
Slowing down the Maple Leafs could depend on discipline, according to Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk. “We took too many penalties, they scored on [them] and that’s the game,” Tkachuk told reporters after Game 1. “So that’s on us. We’ve got to be more disciplined.”
The Sens will also need to capitalize on their chances. According to Stathletes, Ottawa had five high-danger scoring chances in this game, and produced only two goals.
Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning
Game 1 | 8:30 p.m ET | ESPN
This is the fourth time that the two Sunshine State franchises have met in the postseason, and all four of the meetings have occurred since 2021.
In each instance, the winner of the series has gone on to reach the Stanley Cup Final — Lightning in 2021 and 2022; Panthers in 2024 — while the 2021 Lightning and 2024 Panthers won it all.
Unsurprisingly, Nikita Kucherov is Tampa Bay’s leading scorer against Florida, with 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 15 games. Aleksander Barkov is the Panthers’ leading scorer against the Lightning, with 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 15 games.
The two teams split their meetings in the regular season, with the Lightning winning the most recent, 5-1 on April 15.
Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 2 (VGK leads 1-0) | 11 p.m. ET | ESPN
The underdog Wild set a physical tone to the series in Game 1, outhitting the Golden Knights 54-29, but the hosts emerged with a 4-2 victory. Tomas Hertl, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden (two) were the goal scorers for Vegas, and Matt Boldy was responsible for both Minnesota goals.
Howden, who had never scored double-digit goals until his 23 this season, earned praise from coach Bruce Cassidy after Game 1. “He didn’t change his game,” Cassidy told reporters. “He played physical. He’s part of our penalty kill. He’s always out when the goalie’s out, typically one of the six guys we use a lot because of his versatility. He can play wing. He can take draws as a center. He’s been real good for us all year and good again tonight.”
Sunday’s game was the NHL debut for 2024 first-round pick Zeev Buium, who just finished his season with the University of Denver. He played 13 minutes, 37 seconds and finished with one shot on goal.
Arda’s Three Stars of Monday
The greatest goal scorer in NHL history just keeps finding the back of the net. He had two goals, including the overtime winner, as the Caps take Game 1 3-2 despite a valiant third period effort from Montreal to send it to the extra frame.
Connor had the game-winning goal in the third period for the second straight game, as Winnipeg takes both games at home for the 2-0 series lead on the Blues.
Further proof that the Oilers are never out of the game, McDavid helped erase a 4-0 deficit with a goal and three assists, despite the Oilers falling 6-5 late in a thrilling Game 1.
Monday’s scores
Capitals 3, Canadiens 2 (OT)
Washington leads 1-0
Much of the regular season was spent focused on Alex Ovechkin‘s “Gr8 Chase” of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record, and he scored historic goal No. 895 on Sunday, April 6. It turns out, Ovi likes the spotlight. The Capitals superstar opened the scoring in the game, and bookended it with the overtime winner — his first ever, believe it or not — as the Caps survived a thriller in Game 1, following Nick Suzuki‘s tying goal with 4:15 remaining. Full recap.
1:51
Alex Ovechkin’s OT goal wins Game 1 for Capitals
Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the game is an overtime winner that gives the Capitals a 1-0 series lead vs. the Canadiens.
Jets 2, Blues 1
Winnipeg leads 2-0
Game 1 between the two clubs was tightly contested until the Jets took over in the third period. That trend took hold again on Monday — the score remained tied into 1-1 the third period, when Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor scored at the 1:43 mark, and the Jets were able to hold the Blues off the scoreboard for the duration. Connor’s linemate Mark Scheifele assisted on the game-winner and opened the scoring, giving him a league-leading five points this postseason. Full recap.
0:40
Kyle Connor scores clutch goal to put Jets ahead in 3rd period
Kyle Connor extends Winnipeg’s lead after a clutch goal early in the 3rd period vs. St. Louis.
Stars 4, Avalanche 3 (OT)
Series tied 1-1
The series that every observer thought would be the closest in the first round didn’t look that way in Game 1, as the Avs ran over the Stars en route to a 5-1 win. Game 2 was much more in line with expectations, as the two Western powerhouses needed OT to settle things. Colin Blackwell was the hero for Dallas, scoring with 2:14 remaining in the first OT period. Full recap.
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Colin Blackwell comes up with big OT winner for Stars
Colin Blackwell sends the Stars faithful into jubilation with a great overtime winner to tie the series at 1-1 vs. the Avalanche.
Kings 6, Oilers 5
Los Angeles leads 1-0
Monday’s nightcap was a delight to those who like offensive hockey and were willing to stay up late. The Kings roared out to a four-goal lead late in the second period before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored to pull within three with six seconds remaining. The two teams traded goals to start the third, before the Oilers notched three in a row to tie up the festivities with 1:28 remaining on Connor McDavid‘s first of the 2025 playoffs. L.A.’s Phillip Danault sent his club’s fans home happy, scoring the pivotal goal with 42 seconds left. Full recap.
0:46
Kings retake lead on Phillip Danault’s goal in final minute
Phillip Danault restores the lead for the Kings with a goal vs. the Oilers in the closing moments.
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