Deion Sanders waited until the final possible moment of fall camp to name Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter his starting quarterback over heralded true freshman Julian Lewis and redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub.
And now, with a two-game sample size, Sanders has an interesting decision to make ahead of next week’s Big 12 opener at Houston. Staub, a third-team option who was barely considered a contender for the QB1 job entering the season, threw for 157 yards and a career-best two touchdowns over four possessions to lead the Buffaloes to a 31-7 win over Delaware on Saturday.
Lewis played a couple empty drives and Salter re-entered the game in the fourth quarter, but Saturday’s player of the game at the position was obvious.
“I saw what I’ve been seeing in practice the last few years,” Sanders told Fox of Staub’s performance. “This is who he is, who he’s always been. He’s a [man of] opportunity, that’s all he is.”
Salter started the contest and ran for a touchdown over the first two possessions before he was relieved for Lewis in the second quarter. After Colorado failed to move the football with Lewis at the reins, Sanders called Staub’s number with 45 seconds left before the half after the Blue Hens pulled within three points at 10-7.
His fifth attempt was a 21-yard touchdown strike to Dekalon Taylor just before the break.
Staub was Shedeur Sanders’ backup for the past two seasons but opted to stay in Boulder even after the coaching staff brought in Salter from the transfer portal and landed Lewis as a heralded recruit. Staub explained why he wanted to stick with the Buffaloes.
“I had a dream and saw something and wanted to chase it,” Staub said. “I love being here and I love playing for Coach Prime. All I needed was the opportunity.”
Sanders touched on a quarterback plan moving forward, but was reluctant to provide too many details.
“I got a plan, I had a plan coming into this game. I have a plan,” Sanders said. “I don’t know if I’m going to disclose it until I get to our destination, but I saw what everyone else saw today. Martin Luther Staub. That’s what he said, ‘I had a dream,’ right?”
After the game, Sanders told reporters that he came into the game with the plan of playing all three quarterbacks.
“I decided that two days ago. Prayed a lot about it,” Sanders said. “I wanted it to tell its own story. The plan was each quarterback was going to get two series apiece and that’s what we did and somebody was going to come out of the pack. I’m proud of all of them.”
After pushing Colorado’s lead to 17-7 at halftime, Sanders said the locker room was alive for his third-team signal caller.
“Everybody’s energized when they see success, Staub jumping in there and his first opportunity was the two-minute drill, it’s phenomenal,” Sanders said. “You guys aren’t at practice. I’m at practice. My decisions are based on a lot of what I see in practice.”
Who is Ryan Staub?
Staub played in three games as a freshman in 2023 during Sanders’ arrival, including a start against Utah during the final contest of the season when Shedeur Sanders was injured. He completed 17 of 24 passes (70.8%) for 195 yards and tossed his first career touchdown pass to Travis Hunter.
A former three-star recruit rated as the 45th-best quarterback in his class and the No. 108 player from California per 247Sports, Staub redshirted behind Shedeur Sanders in 2024 and saw only 40 snaps last fall.
Staub had the option to leave the program this spring after Colorado signed Salter, a Group of Five transfer, and Lewis, but chose to compete for reps during fall camp.
“You have no idea how I feel about those guys who just hang in there, the opportunity may escape them,” Sanders said Saturday. “He never jumped in the portal and had every right to think that way. He’s been a great human being and a leader in that room.”
Pressed to name a quarterback who leads the depth chart for Houston next week in his post-game, Sanders didn’t take the bait.
“I know exactly how I’m going to handle it. I’m not going to say it, but I’m not lost for direction,” Sanders said.
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