Colorado picked Kaidon Salter as its opening day starting quarterback, coach Deion Sanders announced on Tuesday. The Liberty transfer arrived as one of the most productive returning quarterbacks in college football and won the job over star freshman Julian Lewis.
Salter started his career at Tennessee before he was dismissed during his first offseason, and resurrected his career at Liberty under Hugh Freeze and Jamey Chadwell. In three seasons, he started 24 games and threw for 5,283 yards and 59 touchdowns. The highlight came in 2023, when Salter won CUSA MVP and scored 52 total touchdowns while leading the Flames to the Fiesta Bowl.
Colorado faces a major generation change as quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman-winning athlete Travis Hunter both depart for the NFL. The pair led the Buffaloes to a nine-win campaign in 2024, the best season in Boulder since 2016. After the season, coach Deion Sanders signed a massive five-year, $54 million contract that makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.
Now, Salter becomes the face of coach Deion Sanders’ second act at Colorado. The Buffaloes replace a number of players on offense, but return left tackle Jordan Seaton, wide receiver Dre’lon Miller and running back Dallan Hayden. They also reeled in a top-20 transfer class with 16 offensive players. Nine of them are offensive linemen as the Buffaloes host a third offensive line coach in three years.
Filling a big hole
Over the past two seasons, Shedeur Sanders threw for more yards than anyone but No. 1 overall pick Cameron Ward. He attempted an absurd 907 passes, cleared 7,300 yards and 64 touchdowns. But more importantly, he was singlehandedly responsible for more than 80% of Colorado’s total offense on a team that didn’t produce even a 400-yard rusher.
Salter is a mobile quarterback, but he does not have the same unlimited freelance ability of Sanders, who was able to escape sacks and extend plays. Instead, Salter is more of a designed runner with the wheels to be a serious weapon. Over his career, Salter posted 2,006 yards rushing and 21 scores on 5.7 yards per carry. During his breakout 2023 campaign, he hit 1,089 yards and 6.7 yards per carry.
Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur will be tasked with building a new offense in Salter’s image. Running back the Sanders playbook won’t work.
The future is coming
When Deion Sanders brought both Salter and Lewis to media day, he sent a message that Lewis was ready to hang with the best. While he will start the year on the bench, there’s little question, Lewis is the future at the position.
The freshman from Carrollton, Georgia, ranked as the No. 126 player and No. 10 quarterback in the Top247 rankings, making him the highest-rated quarterback recruit in program history. Despite his smaller frame and reclassification, Lewis threw for more than 10,000 yards in highly competitive Georgia high school football.
“[Lewis] projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making,” 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins wrote. “Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays — and potentially right away.”
Colorado’s schedule is difficult throughout, including an opener against Georgia Tech, early tests against BYU, TCU, Iowa State and Utah, and then closing the year against Arizona State and Kansas State. However, if Salter struggles, Lewis could enter the lineup late in the year to officially pass the baton.
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