Well, for Deion Sanders, the Colorado Buffs’ draft saga swung like a pendulum. Full of highs, lows, and second chances. Now, this year at the drafts, four Buffalo players earned NFL spots, four others signed as undrafted free agents with the Buccaneers and Jaguars, and three more are getting opportunities. However, among them, one punter also remained undrafted, which shattered his hopes. Yet, when his NFL dreams seemed lost, the CFL flipped the script, transforming disappointment into a hard-fought comeback.

But who’s this undrafted CU prodigy whose redemption story is creating massive headlines?

It’s Coach Prime’s star punter, Mark Vassett, who’s not an exceptional player but a man with a magic foot. This guy led the Pac-12 with 22 punts inside the 20, earning first-team all-conference honors from Pro Football Focus in the 2023 season. Weird, right? Despite all this, Vassett still remains undrafted. Now, that’s not the concern anymore, as the CFL global draft flipped the script by selecting him to get him into a pro team.

Yes, that’s right. The Calgary Stampeders selected Mark Vassett with their second-round pick at 10th overall. And he isn’t the only addition to the team; they also drafted Ole Miss punter Fraser Masin with the first overall global pick. And how can Deion Sanders and the team not wish luck to their guy?

CU Buffs official page hits IG with this news and an electrifying caption that reads, “With the 10th overall pick in the second round of the 2025 @cfl Global Draft, the @calstampeders select Punter @markvassett from Colorado.”

Now, it’s not just Colorado who’s celebrating their player’s success, but even the Stampeders hit X with the news, stating, “With our second pick in the 2025 Global Draft, we select punter Mark Vassett!” Even Mark didn’t waste a single second in replying back to it, saying, “Excited for this opportunity!”  Well, can you think of a better turnaround than this?

Back in 2023, after a remarkable season, Mark Vassett talked about his secret sauce behind his success at Big 12 Media Days held in Las Vegas. “Just do my job, which is pinning teams deep and flipping the field when we’re backed up, and just being consistent. Eliminating the miss hits, basically, is what a good punter does.”  Now that he’s finally reaping the fruits of his hard work, the hidden mantra still looks the same: be consistent and eliminate missteps. And that’s exactly what he did last season to end up at the Stampeders.

Why Mark Vassett is a perfect fit for the Stampeders

From Melbourne, Mark Vassett brought his powerful leg and Aussie grit to American college football. He started at Louisville before transferring to Colorado, where in 2024 he excelled on special teams. Vassett averaged 43.7 yards on 53 punts, pinning opponents inside the 20 nineteen times and booming fifteen punts over 50 yards. This earned him Big 12 Honorable Mention.

Vassett’s consistent and clutch performances spanned four seasons, split between Louisville and Colorado. His 218 punts averaged 43.7 yards, showcasing his reliable field position prowess and ability to perform under pressure. Now, you can understand why the Stampeders got him at 10th overall. Well, it looks like CFL is turning the fate of Colorado Buffs players. But how? Look, we all know how things got shady for Shedeur Sanders in this year’s draft. A guy who was a top 10 talk slipped to no. 144 overall, watching five QBs get picked ahead of him.

That’s right. Cam Ward, Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, and Dillon Gabriel. Now, after getting picked in the late 5th round, the Cleveland Browns took Shedeur, but let’s be real, their QB is filled with talented players. And it’s impossible to predict where he stands in the rankings with Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and now Dillon Gabriel in the mix.

But the Toronto Argonauts got him covered. If at all, Browns doesn’t give him proper playtime; Shedeur Sanders has one offer from them, just in case. For now, the team does have four quarterbacks on their active roster, with an outstanding player, Chad Kelly, and 2024’s Grey Cup MVP, Nick Arbuckle, but still, an offer is an offer. Now, with Mark Vassett finally finding the CFL as his ultimate destination, it will be interesting to see if they can add another Buffs star performer into the mix or not.