Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders Left Off Preseason All-America Team

Ahead of the 2024 college football season kicking off on Aug. 24, the Associated Press (AP) released its preseason All-American team, with Colorado Buffaloes' star quarterback Shedeur Sanders missing the cut.

Instead of Sanders, the committee chose Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck as the first-team selection and Oregon Ducks' Dillon Gabriel to fill the second-team slot.

The only Colorado player named a preseason All-American was two-way star Travis Hunter, who was listed as an "all-purpose player" in the first-team selection.

On the surface, the exclusion could be related to the expected performance of the teams surrounding the chosen players. Beck and Gabriel are both expected to lead a national championship-worthy program this season, while Sanders' Buffaloes are still looking to take the next step this fall to a bowl game. This discrepancy may be a reason for Sanders' being left off the list.

Sanders enters this fall in his senior year after spending his first two years at Jackson State prior to transferring to Colorado for the 2023 season. While Sanders displayed his ability to easily rack up passing yards by finishing with 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns, his offensive prowess was not enough to salvage a 4-8 Buffs campaign.

As the Buffs reenter the Big 12, Sanders must adjust quickly to the conference's playing style and avoid taking drive-killing sacks for Colorado to continue its rise. Sacks were a significant problem for Sanders last fall as he led the nation with 52 sacks through 11 games played.

Sanders will have his first opportunity to prove the AP committee wrong on Aug. 29 when Colorado hosts the No. 2-ranked FCS-level North Dakota State Bison from Folsom Field at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on ESPN.

Related: Colorado vs North Dakota State Prediction, Game Preview, Betting Lines