Shedeur Sanders hypes up FCS players after they showcase their talent at Shrine Bowl practices

Shedeur Sanders is in attendance for this week's East-West Shrine Bowl practices, although he isn't participating and won't be playing in the game on Thursday.

Having shined on the FCS level himself as the 2022 Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year at Jackson State before transferring to the Colorado Buffaloes, Sanders was happy to see FCS players get a chance to demonstrate their abilities during the college all-star game's lead-up.

"Thankful that FCS players had an opportunity to showcase the talent that's on that level," Sanders tweeted Tuesday on X/Twitter.

FCS players taking part in Thursday's Shrine Bowl include Eastern Washington wide receiver Efton Chism III, North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller, Cal Poly edge rusher Elijah Ponder, Towson tight end Carter Runyon, Eastern Kentucky defensive back Mike Smith, South Carolina State linebacker Aaron Smtih, Lindenwood interior offensive lineman Gareth Warren, Villanova defensive back Isas Waxter and Montana State interior offensive lineman Marcus Wehr.

NFL.com's Chad Reuter included Warren as one his 10 players who stood out during the game's practices. Chism was included on that list as an honorable mention.

How did Shedeur Sanders do on the FCS level?

Shedeur Sanders joined his father, Deion Sanders, at Jackson State for two seasons before following him to Boulder. With the Tigers, Shedeur Sanders was the starting quarterback for two seasons.

For his efforts at J-State, in 2021, he was tapped as the SWAC Freshman of the Year and won the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS' most outstanding freshman.

Shedeur Sanders threw for 3,231 yards, 30 touchdowns, and eight interceptions that campaign, guiding Jackson State to its first SWAC title since 2007.

"I'm proud of him the way he's played," Deion Sanders told The Undefeated, "the way he sees the field, the way he's encouraged his teammates, the way he approaches practice daily. ... I'm just proud of his maturity and who he is on and off the field."

Shedeur's numbers climbed to 3,732 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and six picks as a sophomore. The younger Sanders has pointed out the difference — or lack thereof — between FBS and FCS football before. His comments downplayed the talent gap between the two Division I college football groupings.

"I'll say the only difference between FCS and this level is the D-line get off blocks if you try to scramble up, faster," Sanders said after Colorado's upset win over TCU, then the College Football Playoff runner-up, in 2023.

"That's it. Everything else, you got good players, you got good DBs, you got good receivers, everything like that. You just have more of those on the field at once."

Shedeur Sanders helped the Buffaloes improve at his next stop, as Colorado improved from 1-11 before he and his father arrived to 9-4 this go-round. Now, he awaits his destination in April's NFL draft.