Deion Sanders Under Fire For Failure to Protect Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

During Deion Sanders' inaugural season as head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes in 2023, one issue became glaringly evident: the team's offensive line was among the weakest in college football. Despite possessing a top-tier quarterback in Shedeur Sanders, elite receivers, and a creative offensive coordinator, the Buffs struggled to protect their quarterback, who was sacked an alarming 52 times—just six fewer than his total from the previous two seasons at Jackson State.

Heading into 2024, Coach Sanders prioritized revamping the offensive line by targeting experienced players through the transfer portal. He successfully recruited nearly a dozen linemen, including five-star left tackle Jordan Seaton, and hired a new offensive line coach, Phil Loadholt, in hopes of revitalizing the unit.

While the revamped line has shown some improvement, particularly in the run game, Shedeur Sanders has still faced significant pressure this season. This was especially evident in the Week 7 matchup against No. 18 Kansas State, where he was sacked six times by a team not typically recognized for its pass-rushing prowess.

Social media has been vocal, expressing both criticism and concern regarding the ongoing struggles of the Buffaloes' offensive line.

"Shedeur Sanders you can not run drop back 20 yards like this madden or ncaa 25 Deion needs to get on his a**, and stop coddling him I don't wanna hear about blocking either, his pocket awareness is horrible," wrote one fan.

"Deion needs to focus on recruiting an offensive line bc 5 (almost 6) sacks is f******* ridiculous," wrote another user.

"I’ve genuinely never seen an offensive line as bad as Colorado’s rn. What Shadeur is doing is very impressive given his time to throw," commented another fan.

"Sanders is elite. But his OL will get him killed," added another.

Despite being sacked six times, Sanders still had a near-perfect day. The Colorado quarterback completed 34-of-40 passes for 388 yards and three touchdowns with one pick. In terms of the sacks, it marks the third time this season that he has been sacked at least five times.

While Colorado can try more offensive line combinations, it's hard to imagine that changing up the unit again will be helpful. Some might say that after 18 games of seeing an offensive line built entirely through the transfer portal continually falter, it may be time to really focus on the development of recruits.

Related: Shilo Sanders Going Viral for Getting Ankles Broken in Colorado-Kansas State Game

Related: College Football Star Shedeur Sanders Made History on Saturday