Four Buffs Quickly Sign UDFA Contracts

BOULDER—Within an hour after Mr. Irrelevant was drafted, four more Colorado Buffaloes football players began their respective NFL journeys by signing UDFA (undrafted free agent) contracts.

All four will be headed to the state of Florida as Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig and BJ Green II will join Travis Hunter as Jacksonville Jaguars and Shilo Sanders and Will Sheppard will begin their NFL journeys with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With four players drafted, Travis Hunter, Shedeur Sanders, Jimmy Horn Jr. and LaJohntay Wester, the most since 2017 for Colorado, and four more quickly signing UDFA contracts, that leaves eight more Buffaloes who participated in CU's I Ain't Hard 2 Find Showcase earlier in April.

The other eight still awaiting their professional football journeys are LB LaVonta Bentley, DL Shane Cokes, S Travis Jay, OL Justin Mayers, DL Chidozie Nwankwo, S Herman Smith III, OL Kardell Thomas and P Mark Vassett.

Silmon-Craig was considered the heart of the defense by defensive coordinator Robert Livingston and he had an "L" on his jersey, for leader, CU's version of captain under Coach Prime. He led the 2024 Buffaloes with 93 tackles, which included 10 tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, two sacks, a forced fumble and one interception. In two seasons at CU he had 137 total tackles.

Green II played in all 13 games for the Buffs in 2024, his only season in Boulder, and he finished with 33 tackles, 12 for a loss including 7.5 sacks and six more tackles for no gain. He added two forced fumbles, two third down stops including one on fourth down, and one fumble recovery. He was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year and first-team All-Big 12. In all, he played 49 collegiate games with 93 tackles, 33 for a loss and 21 sacks.

Shilo Sanders joined CU as a graduate transfer from Jackson State in 2023 and played 21 games in two seasons for CU. He was CU's leading tackler in 2023, led the Pac-12 in solo tackles and was second nationally in forced fumbles. In 2024 he broke his forearm against Nebraska and only missed the next two games. He finished third with 67 tackles and added two breakups, two fumble recoveries, one sack, a forced fumble which he returned for a touchdown.

Sheppard made the most of his one season in Boulder, starting all 13 games and finishing the season with 48 receptions for 621 yards and 6 touchdowns. In his career, which included four seasons at Vanderbilt, he had 200 receptions for 2,688 yards and 27 touchdowns.

Hunter was the third player drafted to the Jaguars and headed into the 2025 NFL season, a total of eight Buffs have played there, most recently Laviska Shenault from 2020-22. For Silmon-Craig, no safety has played at Jacksonville but Hunter could be the fourth cornerback. Green II could join Brian Iwuh as an edge player for the Jags from CU. Iwuh played there from 2006-09.

The Buffs history with Tampa Bay is not extensive, with just one player drafted, OT Steve Young in 1976, and just four players have played for the Buccaneers, most recently WR Derek McCoy in 2004-05. Shilo Sanders could be the first safety and just second defensive player to suit up for the Buccs while Sheppard could be the second receiver alongside McCoy.

CU counts UDFA's as members of its Buffs in the NFL if they make a final roster including being named to a practice squad. In CU history, a total of 72 players have made a roster as a UDFA including each of the last 10 and 11 of the last 12 seasons. In that time since 2013, three Buffs have made a roster as a UDFA twice, in 2016 and 2020, and four times a pair of Buffs made a final roster including 2017, '18 and each of the last two seasons.

Entering 2025, a total of 285 players that played at CU have made an NFL roster. Should all eight, or any eight or more of the 16 players that were draft-eligible for CU, make a roster, it would be the most new Buffs in the NFL in a single season since 1995 when 11 Buffs made their NFL debut.

Players Mentioned

LaVonta Bentley

Shane Cokes

BJ Green II

Jimmy Horn Jr.

Travis Hunter

Travis Jay

Justin Mayers

Chidozie Nwankwo

Shedeur Sanders

Shilo Sanders

Will Sheppard

Cam'Ron Silmon-Craig

Herman Smith III

Kardell Thomas

Mark Vassett

LaJohntay Wester

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