Shedeur Sanders is on his way out of Boulder. However, the repercussions of his stint carry on. Shedeur’s success in father-coach Deion Sanders’ system was perhaps a key facet that instigated his successor, 5-star recruit Julian Lewis, to join the ranks. It appears that JuJu may not be the only quarterback carrying on this lineage in 2025 and beyond. Coach Prime is dipping into the transfer portal, as has been his modus operandi at the helm of Colorado.

Deion is eyeing up Kaidon Salter, the no.10 quarterback traversing the portal right now. Salter is, in fact, in Boulder on an official visit. However, the path to landing him isn’t linear. An ‘orange’ cloud looms over this visit with Colorado in direct competition with Fran Brown and Syracuse. CFB recruitment expert Steve Wiltfong leveraged his insight on where Kaidon Salter’s recruitment stands.

Appearing on the On3 Recruits’ YouTube channel, Wiltfong said, “[Colorado] got Kaidon out to campus on Monday. His visit goes into Tuesday. Certainly, the Buffaloes have a lot to sell there, getting him around Deion Sanders and that program, that offense, and some of the playmakers that they brought in.” Begrudgingly for Coach Prime, he believes Syracuse currently holds the upper hand. “I like Syracuse going into the Colorado visit. I think it’s up to Colorado to flip that script on Fran Brown and Co.,” he said.

Steve Wiltfong proceeded to say that Kaidon Salter would indeed pick his destination after this visit. No other schools are in the reckoning. Wiltfong elaborated on exactly why he believes Syracuse is leading this charge for Kaidon. “There is not a better head coach recruiter in America [than Fran Brown],” he claimed.

“Maybe you can argue there are some that are as good. But Fran Brown [and] the way he builds relationships, the way he communicates with young men and their families, and then, coming off a 9-win season, an explosive passing offense. [Syracuse are] looking at to take another step forward next year,” continued Wiltfong. Coach Brown is a very real factor at play; however, there’s one other thing that gives Syracuse the perceived edge.

Syracuse can offer Kaidon Salter something Colorado can’t quite

Kaidon Salter may not be a household name amidst Power 4 circles, but he’s a star in his own right. Now stepping into his senior year as a redshirt, Kaidon is a Conference USA Champion with the Liberty Flames in 2023. He threw a program-record 32 touchdown passes that season. That is only one facet of this true dual threat. Kaidon has garnered over 2000 yards rushing across 3 seasons, with 21 rushing TDs. He’s a QB1-caliber player, and it’s safe to assume he’s seeking exactly that on the depth chart.

Syracuse can offer him a clear path to the starting role. With Kyle McCord leaving at the end of his eligibility, the Orange have a void under center. Kaidon Salter is poised to slot right in from the jump. Colorado, meanwhile, has Julian Lewis as well. You’d think Deion plans to sit Lewis for a year, perhaps redshirting him. However, that dynamic could get iffy. 

These factors make it fairly conspicuous why Steve Wiltfong believes Kaidon Salter is likely to join the team coached by the $18m-worth Fran Brown. Coach Prime has an opportunity to sway him toward Boulder during his visit. No slighting Fran Brown’s recruitment. However, Deion did lure the no.1 prospect in the country to Jackson State. That turned out fairly positively, didn’t it? Especially with that guy winning the Heisman this year as a star for the Buffs. Looks like Kaidon has a potentially career-altering decision beckoning here.