"He's the George Floyd of college football" - Jason Whitlock blasts Shedeur Sanders over CU jersey retirement

Shedeur Sanders' No. 2 Colorado jersey was retired at CU's spring football game at Folsom Field on Saturday. While the quarterback wrote his name into Buffs lore, some felt that Sanders was undeserving of the distinction.

Sports analyst Jason Whitlock did not seem to be pleased with Colorado retiring Sanders' jersey number, and he offered a bold take on the situation on his "Fearless" show on Monday.

"This is Deion talking about Shedeur Sanders, who had his jersey retired and his name put up in the stadium or press box or whatever," Whitlock said. "His name is in the stadium now, with his number just three months after his college football career ends. Rashaan Salaam, who won a Heisman Trophy, he had to wait 23 years.

"But Shedeur, after going 13-12, and 1-8 against top 25 opponents, getting spanked in his only bowl game appearance, immediately put into the rafters or in the high-ups in the stadium for the rest of, I don't know, until they revoke it. He's like the George Floyd of college football, getting statues, tributes and memorials undeserved."

George Floyd was an African-American man who was murdered by asphyxia in May 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck during an arrest.

It was reported that Floyd was being arrested on suspicion of cheating a store clerk with a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd's death sparked a "Black Lives Matter" campaign that spread across the world.

This is not the first time that Whitlock has criticized Sanders. In February, the former ESPN analyst tried to shut down the hype around the young CU QB, saying that Sanders was like "Dak Prescott with Deion as daddy and all the hype of Colorado."

Sanders played two years at Colorado when he transferred to the program from Jackson State in 2023. During his time with the Buffs, the QB threw for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He also contributed eight rushing TDs across 24 games.

Shedeur Sanders projected as a top-10 pick at 2025 NFL draft

NCAA Football: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders - Source: Imagn

Although Shedeur Sanders' draft stock has been up and down since his final game for Colorado, the quarterback is still widely projected to go as a top-10 pick at this year's NFL draft.

Sanders has been closely linked with the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints, all of whom have picks in the top 10 in the first round. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who hold the No. 21 pick, are also reportedly interested in the QB.

In his final year at Colorado, Sanders won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and was also named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Now, it will be interesting to see where he ends up in the NFL.