Colorado football has a sheriff in town. Head coach Deion Sanders revealed his starting quarterback for the team’s season opener against Georgia Tech.
Deion Sanders Names Starting Quarterback For Colorado
Coach Prime names Senior Kaidon Salter as the Colorado Buffs starting quarterback 🦬#skobuffs pic.twitter.com/GLIXxR5exV
— NoSkoZone (@noskozone) August 26, 2025
When the Buffaloes take the field on Friday night against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Kaidon Salter will be under center.
Sanders told reporters on Tuesday that Salter will start at quarterback. The Liberty transfer beats out five-star true freshman Julian Lewis for the right to start in Week 1.
“The kid [Salter] has a ton of experience, dual threat, can throw the heck out of the ball as well,” Sanders said via NoSkoZone. “He’s the guy. He’s the guy at this point.”
Salter transfers from Liberty, where he’s started since the 2022 season. Salter is two years removed from a dominant season where he threw for 2,876 yards and 40 touchdowns while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Salter regressed slightly in 2024, with 1,886 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, with 587 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Salter’s experience — 24 collegiate starts — played a major factor in Sanders’ decision.
“He’s done it before,” Sanders said about Salter. “This is not his first time running out the tunnel and getting the start. … I like what he did in the spring, and he’s growing and growing and growing.”
Even though Salter will start, Sanders revealed that he hopes to play Lewis sparingly and get the young quarterback some reps.
Salter and Lewis have big shoes to fill. Last season’s signal caller, Shedeur Sanders, won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, which is given to the nation’s top upperclassman quarterback.
Sanders was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fifth round.
What To Expect From Colorado In Year Three Under Deion Sanders
pay the price now. pic.twitter.com/uXt8FxS3U4
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) August 22, 2025
Sanders enters his third year at Colorado with expectations to improve upon his team’s 9-4 finish a season ago.
Sanders lost his son, Shedeur, and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to the NFL. The Buffaloes will need some time to figure out who will replace their production.
Colorado’s schedule is fairly manageable, with its three toughest games occurring at the back half of its schedule — Oct. 11 vs. Iowa State, Nov. 22 vs. Arizona, and Nov. 29 at Kansas State.
Defeating Georgia Tech will be no easy task. The Buffaloes also have to travel to Houston on Sept. 12 and host BYU on Sept. 27.
Colorado hosts Georgia Tech on Friday, Aug. 29, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
