After much deliberation, the Deion Sanders-driven hype train up in Colorado isn’t halting just yet. This proverbial train has seen a couple of passengers get off, though. Superstar duo Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter ascending to the NFL has spawned questions of whether the program’s upturn has run its course. A comprehensible and even rational school of thought. In this state of flux and uncertainty, the Buffs onboarded Julian Lewis as the long-term successor to Shedeur. However, the baton may not be passed to him just yet. Deion Sanders dipped his feet into the transfer portal, something that’s been his modus operandi at Colorado. He acquired another QB in Kaidon Salter. As Lewis and Salter battle for the QB1 shirt, a college football analyst and ex-player reckons one of these QBs even surpasses Shedeur in terms of the weapons in their arsenal. At least quantitatively, if not qualitatively.

JuJu Lewis’ path to Colorado was far from straightforward. For the longest time, it seemed like he was destined to link with quarterback whisperer Lincoln Riley at USC. But a quarterback carousel resulted in USC instead landing JuJu’s fellow 5-star prospect Husan Longstreet. Opening the door for Deion Sanders to swoop in. JuJu’s got all the talent, but is merely 17. Throwing a kid straight into the deep end as a true freshman may not be ideal. Both for his individual development and for the win/loss column. Moving for Kaidon Salter during the early portal window offers Coach Prime at worst a contingency plan, and at best a veteran stopgap solution. As spring camp gets along, echoes out of Boulder suggest Salter is headed towards being the latter.

Kaidon Salter may not be a household name amidst Power 4 circles, but he’s a special quarterback. He’s even got the hardware to prove this. Salter is a Conference USA Champion with the Liberty Flames in ‘23. He threw for a program-record 32 TDs that season. Which only scratches the surface of what he’s got in his locker. This is a legit dual-threat guy who can move the sticks with his legs as well. Salter has garnered over 2k rushing yards across three seasons. He’s legged it to the end zone 21 times over that period. All this is baked into why Joe DeLeone didn’t shy away from labeling Kaidon Salter a “better athlete” than Shedeur Sanders. He offered his assessment of Colorado’s QB1-elect alongside Blake Ruffino over “The Ruffino & Joe Show.”

Ruffino and DeLeone ranked Salter the 2nd best QB in the Big 12 heading into the 2025 season. “Both of us believe that Kaidon Salter will be one of the top quarterbacks in this [conference],” remarked Blake Ruffino. To this, his co-host replied, “This is not a knock on Shedeur Sanders. But I think anyone who watched enough Colorado football and who’s been paying attention during this draft cycle knows that this is true when I say it. Shedeur Sanders is not the level of athlete that Kaidon Salter is. Shedeur’s skill set lies in him being a passer rather than someone who can threaten defenses with his scrambling or on-designed runs. DeLeone proceeded to contextualize his statement. As well as make a rather strong claim.

“Salter’s not the level of passer that Sanders is,” he acknowledged. That said, Joe DeLeone kept in perspective CU’s inability to have a balanced offense (their run game alongside Shedeur Sanders was essentially non-existent) when he said the following. “Having someone like Salter, who’s super mobile, who has rushed for 1000 yards before, is going to take this team in a different direction. I don’t want to say it’s going to take it to a new level. Because it’s so hard to replace the football IQ of Sanders. But it’s going to take it to a completely different direction that is going to make them even more dangerous. Salter is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.” A very fair argument. But maybe Joe’s got too much dip on his chip. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Salter. Ruffino brought up some telling deficiencies in his game.

Shedeur Sanders’ claim to fame is Kaidon Salter’s kryptonite

Let’s address the elephant in the room. When Kaidon Salter gets labeled the 2nd best QB in the Big 12 or “one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country,” he’s riding the coattails of his 2023 season. There are reasons why. But Salter’s 2024 wasn’t as productive statistically nor great on the eye. Liberty lost some of their best players, especially receivers, to the NFL and transfer portal. But that caveat aside, there’s a big issue. Shedeur Sanders’ biggest strength is arguably Kaidon Salter’s biggest weakness—accuracy as a passer. Which shows up in his completion percentage. 

“I think his upside can be extremely massive,” said Blake Ruffino to preface his statement. Before then proceeding to air a biblical concern. “I have a massive, massive, massive worry with [Salter]. It is going to be boom or bust. I am projecting that this is going to be boom and not a bust. [But] it worries the outright s–t out of me that he’s only a career 60% completion percentage guy,” remarked Ruffino. For context, Shedeur Sanders holds the all-time FBS record at 71.8%. Something that’s the flag-bearer for his case as a top prospect for the NFL.

Maybe Joe DeLeone was right. This offense is headed in a very different direction! It’ll be fascinating to see how Deion Sanders and co. navigate an entirely different archetype of QB. If Kaidon Salter is chosen to be atop the depth chart and fill the Buffs’ Shedeur Sanders-shaped void, expect a dynamic shift. For better or for worse.