Shedeur Sanders Explains Decision to Play Alamo Bowl Rather Than Opt Out

Shedeur Sanders has taken the road less traveled throughout his college football career. The former blue-chip recruit opted to play for his father Deion Sanders at HBCU program Jackson State, passing up FBS offers, before continuing his career at Colorado. Now, he is the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft.

Many quarterbacks in play for the top spot on the draft would opt out of a non-College Football Playoff bowl, and at this point in the sport's history, it would be difficult to blame them. When asked about his decision to play one more game for the Buffaloes against BYU in Saturday's Alamo Bowl, Sanders reminded everyone that he has always followed a different path.

“I don’t do what other people do,” Sanders said Thursday. “Even from the beginning, we went to a HBCU and I had every offer in the country. So I don’t really care what other people do. I’ll say it’s about the team, and it’s about everything I stand for. You know, it is about equality. And just because they're projecting X, Y, and Z, that don’t mean I can’t play with my X, Y, and Zs. You get what I’m saying? I got to play with my receivers. I’ve got to be able to play with the team, the O-line, everything like that because we may not ever have a chance to play again together on the same team.

“So it’s about cherishing the moment. It’s about knowing this is the final collegiate game, and each and every game we left it all out there. There’s no regret. I don’t ever want to go anywhere with regret, so that’s the thing. If I felt like anything negative, I wouldn’t have played this year. I was going first round last year regardless anyway, so, you feel me? It’s no difference. I would have just went.”

Players take a risk by playing in any football game, but Sanders and teammate Travis Hunter have taken steps to insure their financial futures ahead of the Alamo Bowl. Deion Sanders told reporters Monday that the school has taken out record insurance policies on the projected first-round picks.

"We happen to have two players that are probably gonna be the first two picks of the NFL Draft," Sanders said Monday, per Reuters. "And they have received, I think, the highest number of coverage that has ever been covered in college football. ... It far exceeds anyone [who] has ever played this game of college football."

The Alamo Bowl kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. The game will be broadcast on ABC.