The Colorado Buffaloes had some of the elite offensive talent in all of college football this season. They exceeded most expectations by posting a 9-3 record and finished ranked 23rd in the nation, and it was thanks in large part to Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders. Their presumed final collegiate game will come against BYU in the Alamo Bowl, as both are projected to be selected in the top-5 of the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft.
The latter is the favorite to be selected first overall.
Sanders Favored To Go #1, Hunter Not Far Behind
The draft class of 2025 doesn’t appear to be top-heavy at the quarterback position. Most mock drafts have just two pass throwers projected to be picked in the top-10, with Sanders and Miami quarterback Cam Ward being the two established and elite talents. How the selection process plays out of course depends on the final order and how the QB-hungry NFL teams finish the current season, but there figures to be enough need for both to be selected early.
Deion Sanders says he prefers the #Raiders to draft Shedeur Sanders. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/xh1c6reGFT
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) December 9, 2024
According to the betting odds, Sanders is the favorite to be the #1 pick. BetOnline has his current designation listed at -150, which are implied odds of 60%. He finished third in the nation in passing yards in 2024, and was one touchdown pass short of being #1 in that category. Combine that with his 74.2 completion percentage and the fact that he did it all behind a leaky offensive line, and you’ll find that he is perhaps the most elite talent in the class.
Ward finished near the top in most of the same categories, but the Miami product has far longer odds of being picked first. The same betting board has Ward listed at +750 to go #1, implied odds of about 12%. He is third on the list at BetOnline, with the other standout from Colorado sandwiched in between.
| Player | Odds | Implied Chance |
| Shedeur Sanders | -150 | 60% |
| Travis Hunter | +155 | 39% |
| Cam Ward | +750 | 12% |
| Jalen Milroe | +2200 | 4% |
| Mykel Williams | +3300 | 3% |
Travis Hunter is a two-way star, and the leading candidate to win this year’s Heisman Trophy. He is one of the more unique talents that we have seen in some time, and he’ll be rewarded as such by being a top pick. The odds board has him listed at +155 to be the first selection, just slightly behind Sanders’ figure.
There are more than a handful of teams that are vying to be the ones making the first selection. The Raiders and Giants currently have the upper hand by sharing a league-worst 2-11 record, and both are in dire need of a franchise quarterback. But there are six teams nipping at their heels at 3-10, though only some of those will be turning to a QB in next year’s draft.
There have been rumors surrounding a mutual interest between Sanders and the Raiders, and it is believed that Las Vegas is one of his few preferred destinations.
