NFL vet Matt Leinart gives Shedeur Sanders his due credit after he takes the back seat for Heisman front-runner Travis Hunter

No. 23-ranked Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders was not named one of the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Instead, his teammate Travis Hunter, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Miami QB Cam Ward, and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel were named the finalists.

The top 10 vote-getters for the Heisman were later revealed, and Sanders was shown to have finished eighth in voting.

While placing eight in the Heisman voting is not something to be disappointed in, former NFL player and 2004 Heisman winner Matt Leinart gives Sanders more credit. He hosts "The Throwback Show," and on Friday, he released a clip where he discussed Sanders and whether he was snubbed from being a Heisman finalist:

"There's always like a Heisman snub. This year two in particular, so I want to give these two dudes some love. Shedeur Sanders and again, probably overshadowed by his teammate Travis Hunter and the full promotion and marketing push for Travis Hunter to win the Heisman Trophy. Shedeur kind of took a back seat."

"I'm telling you right now, this guy is the real deal. Whether you like him or not, this dude is going to be a real good pro. He might be on your Giants, not sure, he might be a Raider is what I think. But he's tremendous," Leinart added.

Leinart also went on to discuss Penn State tight end Tyler Warren as another snub, giving him credit for his excellent season.

How high is Sanders expected to go in the draft?

While Leinart believes Sanders was snubbed from being a Heisman finalist, he does not think he will get the same treatment at the 2025 NFL draft. He talked about how the New York Giants or Las Vegas Raiders will likely draft him. Both teams have expressed interest in him at different times and need a new, young quarterback.

Sanders is widely viewed as one of the top two quarterbacks in his class, alongside Miami's Ward. It is not clear which of the two would go first over the other. Different mock drafts have different projections for which player will go first between the two.

However, it seems clear that these two players will get drafted by the Giants and the Raiders unless something changes drastically in the NFL standings in the final weeks of the season. Sanders could even get drafted first overall if one of those teams has the pick.