Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders became the first NCAA football player to sign an NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal with Nike on Wednesday. The footwear and apparel deal for the projected first-round draft pick comes on the eve of Sanders’ final college football season and brings him firmly into the fold of what he calls the “family business.”
Saunders looks to build on a solid 2023 campaign in which he threw for a school-record 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns, with only three interceptions in 11 games. He’s considered a top prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
Nike
To coincide with the news, sneaker fans got a surprise when Nike dropped the Air DT Max 96, a signature shoe originally made for Sanders’ father and current coach, Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders. The shoes come dressed in the Colorado Buffaloes’ colors, as Vegas gold overlays accent the predominantly white uppers. The shoe is one of several signature sneakers the elder Sanders received during his early tenure with Nike in the ’90s.
Sanders recently spoke on his podcast about his vision for taking what his dad built with the Air DT Max and making it his own for future generations. “I want to build on it. Have like a different version,” he said. “It’s more about what could be passed down year after year after year after year.”
On Thursday, Sanders will lead Colorado in the Buffaloes in the team’s season opener against North Dakota State.