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Shedeur Sanders Makes Admission About Being a 'Nepo Baby'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 7:11 PM ET

Unsurprisingly, some of the biggest stars in college football are relatives of former great athletes.

Whether it's Texas quarterback Arch Manning, the nephew of Super Bowl champion quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning, or Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, who are the sons of their head coach and arguably the best corner of all time, Deion Sanders, college football is littered with familiar names.

However, even with Shedeur Sanders proving himself as one of the best players in the sport, winning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, fans still hesitate to give him credit for his achievements. Much of the criticism of Sanders stems from those who cite their family as the reason they get attention or buzz.

However, similar to Manning earlier this month in an interview with Complex, Shedeur Sanders revealed the "nepo baby" comments don't bother him. In a recent video by Darius Sanders of "Reach the People Media," Shedeur Sanders jokingly revealed he loves it while wearing his father's signature shoes during a workout.

"I only wear my daddy shoes," Sanders said. "Nepotism, I love it. I love being a nepo baby."

Although fans will constantly go at Sanders, the Jackson State transfer has more than proved he is worthy of the buzz. This season alone, he threw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. His 74% completion percentage ranks No. 6 all-time.

The nepotism claims will likely die down when he reaches the next level, but much to the dissatisfaction of those who think he only excelled with his father as his coach, he is widely viewed as a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft.

In Athlon Sports' Luke Easterling's recent NFL mock draft , Sanders was slated as the No. 6 pick to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Only time will tell if he is destined for stardom at the next level, but evidently, the critics don't bug him.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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