Josh Pate Questions If Shedeur Sanders Is A Top Five Quarterback In College Football

Shedeur Sanders recorded 3,230 passing yards and 27 touchdowns in his first season as the Colorado Buffaloes' starting quarterback. He captured the attention of many people around the country, including Josh Pate.

In a recent edition of " Late Kick Live ," Pate had questions regarding the Colorado quarterback. Pate was not ready to commit to Sanders as a top-five quarterback this season. He had problems comparing Sanders to the best players at the position.

"Do you think Shedeur Sanders is gonna be a top-five quarterback out of Colorado this year, out at Colorado?" Pate asked. "Do you think Shedeur Sanders, however you define this, is a top-five quarterback this year? Cause I have a problem with it. I have a problem even gauging it."

Colorado went 4-8 regardless of Sanders's performance. However, Pate noted how Sanders did more with less at Colorado. Pate mentioned the talent Quinn Ewers with the Texas Longhorns and Jalen Milroe with the Alabama Crimson Tide had around them last season.

Ewers had one of the best offensive lines in college football last season. Ewers also threw to NFL talent like Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy. For Milroe, the Alabama QB had receivers like Isaiah Bond and Jermaine Burton.

Ewers and Milroe also played on teams in the top five in the fewest points allowed on defense in 2023. Colorado was one of the worst defensive teams in the Pac-12 last season, allowing the conference's second-most points (34.8) and second-most yards per game (453.3).

Last season, Sanders' main targets at Colorado were Xavier Weaver, Travis Hunter, and Jimmy Horn Jr. Hunter played both ways, and Weaver left for the NFL. The fourth-leading receiver in terms of yards last season was running back Dylan Edwards, who now plays for the Kansas State Wildcats.

"...This is not an apples-to-apples thing," Pate said. "If you asked me about Carson Beck at Georgia if you asked me about any of a number of these guys. Quinn Ewers at Texas, Jalen Milroe at Alabama, they have talent all around them. Shedeur Sanders doesn't have a fraction of that kind of talent around him, so he has to do a lot more."

If Sanders was at a more significant program like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Pate believed that the Colorado QB would be a Heisman favorite going into this season. For Pate, it is all about how good the supporting cast around Sanders is.

"...Last year, he was a 3200-yard guy, 27 touchdowns, three picks," Pate said. "But they were the nation's worst run game. Offensive line allowed the second-most sacks per game in the country. So it can't get anything but better there, but I don't look at it as, 'Can Shedeur be a top-five quarterback?' I think if I were to put him in Columbus, Ohio he'd be the preseason Heisman favorite. ...It isn't whether he's good or not; it's how good Colorado is around him."

Colorado opens the year with the North Dakota State Bison on Aug. 29.

Related: USA TODAY Officially Reveals Preseason College Football Rankings