Former Colorado Star Laviska Shenault Jr. Faces Career Crossroads

Former Colorado Buffaloes star Laviska Shenault Jr. has been released from the Birmingham Stallions, putting his professional football career in limbo.

Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr (WO49) speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Former Colorado Buffaloes star wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. was released by the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League on Saturday.

Now having flamed out in both the NFL and UFL, Shenault’s career hangs in the balance. Here’s a look at Shenault’s peak with the Buffaloes, and how his playing career may have come to a recent end.

Laviska Shenault Jr.’s Colorado career

Nov 9, 2019; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (2) celebrates after his successful fourth down carry against the Stanford Cardinal during the fourth quarter at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Shenault broke out as Colorado’s leading receiver in 2018, recording 1,011 yards and six touchdowns on 86 catches, good for an average of 11.76 yards per catch.

He missed three games due to injury, but the discourse following the season wasn’t surrounding the risk that presented. Rather, fans were just excited to see what Shenault could do with a full 12-game schedule.

Unfortunately, the injury bug caught Shenault again, as he played 11 games in 2019 and his play declined. Shenault still recorded 764 yards and four touchdowns, though, which was enough to give him a chance to build his stock before the 2020 NFL Draft.

How Laviska Shenault Jr. raised his draft stock at Colorado

Feb 25, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Colorado wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr (WO49) speaks to the media during the 2020 NFL Combine in the Indianapolis Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The production he displayed at Colorado would likely have been enough on its own to make Shenault a late first-round NFL Draft pick, but the injury concerns meant he had work to do in the pre-draft process.

Shenault put together a solid performance at the NFL Combine, though, running a 4.58-second 40-yard dash with a 1.61-second 10-yard split. Additionally, he recorded 17 reps on the bench press, which outdid future NFL talents from his class, the likes of Michael Pittman Jr., Gabe Davis and Juwan Johnson.

He looked healthy in his pre-draft process, which was enough for NFL teams to overlook his injury concerns for the most part. He was back to being viewed as a late-first to mid-second round NFL Draft pick by the time late April of 2020 arrived.

Laviska Shenault Jr.’s NFL career

Aug 20, 2022; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Laviska Shenault Jr. (10) catches a pass before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at TIAA Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Shenault was selected with the No. 42 overall pick in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. They hoped he’d emerge as the leading receiver during their rebuilding process, and during his first two seasons, he flashed potential of becoming just that.

He recorded a combined 1,219 yards and five touchdowns across 2020 and 2021, but in 2022, his production fell off a cliff. Shenault began to battle injuries again and his yardage total dropped to 272 yards with just one touchdown. 

He was traded to the Carolina Panthers midway through the season, and Shenault bounced around the NFL from 2023 to 2025, but he never recorded more than 10 receptions in a season again. 

After not appearing in a game for the Buffalo Bills in 2025, it appeared Shenault’s football career may have been over.

Laviska Shenault Jr.’s second chance in the UFL, and what went wrong

News: The Birmingham #Stallions are releasing WR Laviska Shenault Jr., source confirms.

The former NFL second rounder with the #Jaguars never found much of a groove in the #UFL (injuries were a factor).

He had 1 reception for 7 yards, and 15 kick returns for 373 yards. pic.twitter.com/RtqirZvYnd

— James Larsen (@JamesLarsenPFN) May 2, 2026

However, Shenault found another opportunity, signing with the Stallions in the UFL on Jan. 14, 2026.

Due to the lower level of play in the UFL, it appeared Shenault would have a chance to start again and revive his football career, but his second chance didn’t go according to plan.

Shenault recorded just one catch for seven yards, only appearing in four games and starting one. His disappointing performance ultimately led to his release.

This begs the question: What went wrong for Shenault that took him from being a Buffs standout to being cut from two leagues? The answer is what most would expect: it’s likely that all of the injuries built up, and he simply wasn’t the same player for the Stallions that he was for Colorado.

Shenault battled more injuries for the rest of his NFL career, and when he arrived in the UFL, it was clear he lacked the same speed and agility that made him so successful in Boulder.

The status of Shenault’s career now sits in question as the days have rolled on since his release.

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