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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders said he is focusing on improving his footwork this offseason after getting sacked a college football-high 52 times in 2023.
“I would definitely say, one, really just working on footwork and everything, and rhythm, knowing the pre-snap, knowing actually post-snap reality of what’s going to happen,” Sanders told Shilo Sanders and Deion Sanders Jr. about his offseason focus on Tuesday’s episode of Overtime’s 2Legendary with Shedeur Sanders podcast (7:20-mark.) “Just throughout the play, just go through progressions, and work on footwork, really.”
Shilo Sanders then asked Shedeur if he thought his footwork was good during Colorado’s 2023 campaign.
“No, it was good, but what I’m saying is, when you get sacked so many times… over and over and over and over, your footwork’s gonna be different than someone who hasn’t gotten sacked that many times,” the Buffaloes quarterback said.
Sanders continued: “People can say, ‘Oh, his footwork was off, he wasn’t throwing a rhythm.’ They’re not sitting there when that 275-pound, 300-pound tackle is running after you.”
Colorado is surrounding Sanders with a new-look offensive line this fall after the Buffaloes’ struggles to protect their quarterback contributed to a demoralizing 0-5 finish to the 2023 campaign.
The Buffaloes have since added experienced offensive linemen like Justin Mayers and Kahlil Benson to help alleviate some of the pressure Sanders felt in the pocket last season.
That extra time and space could mean Sanders’ focus on his footwork will pay off this fall as his father, head coach Deion Sanders, looks to lead the Buffaloes to the program’s first winning record since 2016.
