When is Shedeur Sanders draft eligible? A look at possible routes for Deion Sanders' son after 2024 season

Shedeur Sanders will lead Colorado's offense in the 2024 season. The quarterback is entering his second year with the Buffaloes and fourth year overall on the college circuit. Since Sanders has been at the collegiate level for a while now, fans have been curious to learn whether he will be eligible to join the NFL next year.

Can Shedeur Sanders declare for the 2025 NFL draft?

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (Source: Imagn)

Shedeur Sanders is eligible to declare for the 2025 NFL draft since the quarterback is entering his senior year of college eligibility in the 2024 season. More importantly, he is three years out of high school, which is the criteria for every draft candidate.

Sanders was also eligible to enter the 2024 NFL draft but opted to return to Colorado for the 2024 season.

Notably, Sanders has played his entire college career under the guidance of his father and coach, Deion Sanders. The signal-caller spent two years at Jackson State and then transferred to Colorado in 2023 along with "Coach Prime."

In June, coach Sanders appeared on "The Joel Klatt Show" and said his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, are now preparing for the NFL.

"I'm a leader of men, not a follower of men," Sanders said. "I'm a father, not a baby daddy. I lead my sons. I don't follow my sons. My sons, Travis included, are getting ready to migrate to the NFL. I'm not following them to the NFL."

(Timestamp: 20:23)

In his first season at Colorado, Sanders completed 298 of 430 passes for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns. He also rushed for four touchdowns across 11 games.

The quarterback had an impressive start, leading the Buffaloes to an early 3-0 record. However, Sanders struggled to live up to the high expectations for the remainder of the season and posted just one more win.

Colorado finished with a 4-8 record and did not qualify for a bowl game, which requires a minimum of six wins in a season.

Nonetheless, Sanders has been putting in the work this offseason to help Colorado and also boost his draft stock. He will want to lead the Buffaloes to a winning record in 2024 as the team returns to the Big 12 following its Pac-12 exit.

The Buffaloes will play their first game of the 2024 regular season against North Dakota State on Aug. 29. The game will kick off at 6 p.m. ET and be nationally televised on ESPN.