Shedeur Sanders leadership cannot be questioned as Colorado turns around its season

Few around football have doubted that Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sandersisn't a first-round talent in next year's NFL Draft. Instead, the concerns around Sanders have centered on his "intangibles" -- his attitude, his leadership, his teamwork and ability to inspire.

Sanders on Saturday delivered a devastating rebuttal to his haters by leading Colorado to a dramatic overtime win over the Baylor Bears to begin Big 12 Conference action. The son of head coach Deion Sanders made his dad proud by throwing for 341 yards and two touchdowns, but as Colorado's two-way star Travis Hunter later revealed, Shedeur contributed to the victory in more ways than the stats show.

Shedeur told Hunter to get him the ball

Following the breathless 38-31 win over Baylor in Boulder, Hunter revealed to reporters how Shedeur hyped him up to make the eventual game-winning play: a forced fumble on the one-yard line as Baylor sought to force a second OT.

"Shedeur told me to go out there and get the ball once we scored, so I told him 'I got you' and I kept my word," Hunter said.

Though Colorado trailed 24-10 in the second quarter on Saturday, the Buffaloes got back in the game with a 58-yard touchdown by Sanders just before halftime, and they forced overtime when Sanders delivered a Hail Mary to LaJohntay Wester as time expired in the fourth quarter. And though he didn't catch a TD from his quarterback, Hunter was still the game's best receiver, as he hauled in seven es for 130 yards before he made the winning defensive play.

Colorado has matched its 3-1 record from this stage last season -- but the vibes might be better than they were in 2023, when the Buffs finished 4-8. A visit to UCF next week gives Colorado an opportunity to match its win total from last season as Hunter and Sanders see their draft stock rise -- and the detractors close their mouths.