Deion Sanders explains what led him to naming Kaidon Salter Colorado’s starting quarterback

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders officially named Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter as the Buffaloes’ starting quarterback heading into the 2025 season on Tuesday.

Salter will certainly have big shoes to fill in former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award last season. Sanders was selected in the Fifth Round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns after passing for 4,134 yards, 37 touchdowns and just 10 interceptions in 2024.

Sanders, along with Heisman winner Travis Hunter, had his jersey retired at Colorado‘s spring game earlier this year.

Salter, who spent his first four seasons of collegiate football at Liberty, made his way to Boulder via the Transfer Portal after leading the Flames to an 8-4 record in 2024. Last season, he passed for 1,886 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 587 yards and seven more scores.

Coach Prime applauds Salter’s dual-threat capabilities

Coach Prime discussed the decision to name Salter as the starting quarterback during the ‘Colorado Football Coaches Show‘ Wednesday night.

“I like that he has experience,” Sanders said. “I like that he’s a dual-threat. He throws a good football as well as he can make the necessary plays that we’re gonna need to be made and the timing of that. I don’t think the stage will too big for him or the lights will be too bright. I think he can handle it and he’s very versatile. He’s gonna impose problems to opposing defenses.”

“He can throw the ball, but it’s hard to prepare for running. It’s hard to prepare for guys that can run the football and we can never appreciate him in the manner we ought too because in practice, you don’t get credit for running the football as a quarterback. You get credit for throwing the football and completing passes and your accuracy, so we have not even seen as a team how good he can possibly be.”

Salter beat out freshman quarterback Julian Lewis for starting job

He beat out incoming freshman four-star quarterback Julian Lewis for the starting job. Lewis, who was ranked No. 56 overall in the Class of 2025, seems poised to be the starting quarterback once Lewis departs in 2027.

“We definitely want to continue to develop JuJu, but Kaidon is unbelievable,” Sanders said at Big 12 Media Day. “Kaidon is off the chain. He’s been there, done that, he can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.

“But JuJu is coming around the mountain when he comes. And I love him, I love what he brings to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, as long as it plays out. We can’t lose either way, with either of those two.”

Salter has started three games against power-four competition (Wake Forest and Virginia Tech in 2022, Oregon in 2023) in his career, where he’s passed for a combined 501 yards (167 YPG), three touchdowns and three interceptions.

Colorado opens its 2025 campaign at home against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29. Kick-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM on ESPN. The Buffaloes are 2-0 in season opener’s in the Coach Prime era.