After starting at quarterback for Colorado football in its first two games of the 2025 season, Buffs head coach Deion Sanders is possibly moving away from former Tennessee QB Kaidon Salter. He’s not going to his five-star freshman, Julian Lewis, either. Instead, it’ll be previously third-string quarterback Ryan Staub getting the start at Houston this weekend, according to ESPN.
However, at his press conference on Tuesday, Sanders refuted the report.
In game one, Salter got the nod against Georgia Tech despite battling illness. Colorado dropped the season opener 27-20 with Salter completing 17-of-28 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 43 yards and a score on 13 carries.
Against Delaware in Week 2, all three quarterbacks got a chance. In the 31-7 win, Salter completed 13-of-16 passes for 102 yards and ran for 25 yards and a score. Lewis completed 2-of-4 passes for eight yards and ran for -8 yards due to a sack. Staub, who started one game for Colorado in 2023, completed 7-of-10 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
More From RTI: How Former Tennessee Football Stars Did in the NFL During Week 1
Salter was a four-star recruit out of high school from Cedar Hill, Texas. According to 247, he was the No. 48 recruit in the country and No. 7 quarterback in the class. He committed to Tennessee on May 10, 2020, when Jeremy Pruitt was still the coach. Despite the coaching change, he still signed with the program.
However, before he could play a game under Josh Heupel, he was dismissed from the team after being arrested on charges of simple possession and driving without a license. He transferred to Liberty during the offseason and began his career with the Flames instead.
Salter played in two games and completed one of his two pass attempts for a 39-yard touchdown as a true freshman. In year two, he played in eight games while starting four. During that time, he compiled a 2-2 record as the starter with 1,088 passing yards, eight touchdowns and five picks.
In 2023, Salter took over as the full-time starter. He led Liberty to a 13-1 record while producing 2,876 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and six picks. He also ran for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns. This past season, his numbers took a dip, but he remained the starter and went 8-3 in his time atop the offense.
During the ensuing offseason, Salter transferred to Colorado to replace Shedeur Sanders. He entered a quarterback battle with Lewis, a highly-touted freshman, with both attending the Big 12 media days to represent the Buffs. Ultimately, Salter did enough to win the job to start the season, though.
