Safety Shilo Sanders healthy, ready to move on to senior year – Boulder Daily Camera

Colorado defensive end Shilo Sanders speaks with the media during NCAA Big 12 college football media days in Las Vegas, Wednesday, July 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Lucas Peltier)

LAS VEGAS — In May, an unconfirmed report said Colorado safety Shilo Sanders would be out for at least six months following shoulder surgery.

On Wednesday, Sanders laughed off that statement and said he was ready to go.

“Yeah, I feel good,” he told BuffZone at Big 12 media day at Allegiant Stadium. “I didn’t miss anything. I don’t know who wrote that.”

In preparation for his final season, Sanders said he will be ready when the Buffs open preseason practice later this month.

In fact, he believes he’s a better player than he was last year, when he had 67 tackles, four forced fumbles and an interception that he returned 80 yards for a touchdown.

“Believe it or not, I think snowboarding made me faster,” he said, referring to one of his favorite recreational activities. “I came back in the spring, I was doing some conditioning and I came in first, and all that, I was like, ‘Damn!’”

His brother, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, laughed when Shilo said snowboarding made a difference, but Shilo replied, “It feels like you’re balancing on your toes and it’s working your calves. I don’t know what that was.”

He also said he has improved mentally, having learned a lot from new defensive coordinator/safeties coach Robert Livingston.

“He’s a professional coach that comes from the Bengals,” Shilo said. “You want to go to the league, you want to be coached by NFL coaches. That’s what we have in-house. To have a guy that knows what it takes, he’s been around safeties that make a lot of money, that have made my dreams come true. Just to have him there to guide me to that next level is awesome.”

Opening not so easy

CU opens the season Aug. 29 against North Dakota State in the FCS. NDSU isn’t like other FCS teams, though. The Bison have been a national powerhouse for years, with a history of losing to FBS teams.

Buffs head coach Deion Sanders knows this won’t be an easy win.

“They’re good. They’re really, really good,” he said, before joking, “and I’m mad at (athletic director Rick George) right now for putting them in the program, for opening with them. Can you give me a layup or something?”

An FCS national semifinalist last year, NDSU will certainly come to Boulder ready to play.

“These kids play like crazy,” Coach Prime said. “They play hard. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. They’re used to winning. They don’t care if it’s home or away. It doesn’t faze them at all.”

Exhausted

The University of Colorado announced Wednesday that its Oct. 26 game at Folsom Field against Cincinnati is a sellout. The game will be played during Family Weekend, which often draws large crowds.

Season tickets are sold out, but tickets for the remaining five home games are still available.