A week after a blowout-filled first round of the College Football Playoff, the top NFL prospects whose teams missed out on the tournament didn’t exactly light the world on fire in their final games as amateurs.
The Colorado Buffaloes, led by quarterback Shedeur Sanders and cornerback–wide receiver Travis Hunter, were blown out by BYU at the Alamo Bowl, 36–14. Despite the loss, Hunter played well, leading the team in receiving yards (106) and tackles (4), but Sanders finished with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Meanwhile, Miami fell to Iowa State at the Pop-Tarts Bowl, 42–41, as QB Cam Ward sat the second half. He threw three touchdown passes in the first half—which lifted him to a Division I record 158—but was criticized for his decision to rest, which was likely to avoid the risk of injury before the NFL draft.
“I appreciate that Cam Ward, in this day and age in CFB, played at all. But I just can’t imagine starting any game with teammates, especially as a quarterback, and electing to pull myself out while my teammates are still trying to finish the job in a back-and-forth battle,” The Ringer’s Todd McShay wrote on X.
Sanders, Hunter, and Ward are three of the highest-earning college football players from NIL (name, image, and likeness) deals. Sanders secured an endorsement deal with Nike—following in the footsteps of his father, Deion—while Ward and Hunter are the two college football players who have signed with Adidas.
Ward was also reportedly paid around $2 million to transfer to Miami from Washington State last year, which, at the time, was one of the largest deals in history.
The NFL Draft Awaits
Hunter, Ward, and Sanders are projected to be the first three players selected in the NFL Draft by ESPN and The Athletic. The three are somewhere within the top five in most mock drafts.
The draft order has yet to be determined, but the Patriots, Titans, Browns, and Giants are all 3-13 going into Week 18. All four teams could use either a fresh face at quarterback, a offensive weapon to support their young signal caller, or both.
The three-day NFL Draft starts on April 24 from outside Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
