Colorado Brings Both QBs to Big 12 Media Days as Competition Heats Up

FRISCO, Texas — Kaidon Salter has four years of collegiate experience. Julian Lewis hasn’t taken a single snap but is Colorado’s prized five-star recruit.

One would assume that Salter will be the starter for the Buffaloes when they host Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

Well, that’s what one gets for assuming. Both Salter and Lewis are at Big 12 Media Days at The Star because the job is, apparently, unsettled.

“We brought both of them because I don’t know which one’s gonna start,” Sanders said.

The Buffs are trying to replace Sanders’ son, Shedeur, who was the starter for two seasons at Colorado and set several program records in Boulder.

This could simply be coach-speak on Sanders’ part to create competition going into fall workouts. But, on credentials, there would seem to be no question that Salter should be the opening-night starter.

He spent four years at Liberty, where he threw for 5,887 passing yards and 56 touchdowns to go along with 2,063 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. He led the Flames to their best season in program history, as they went undefeated and went to a New Year’s Six bowl game for the first time.

Salter was named the Conference USA Player of the Year.

“Kaidon is unbelievable,” Sanders said. “He’s been there and done that. He can get the job done. I would not have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.”

Salter can boost Colorado’s run game, which was statistically awful a year ago. Playing under offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur should boost Salter’s NFL stock, too.

Lewis went to Colorado as the highest-rated commit to the Buffaloes in the ESPN 300 era, dating back to 2006. He’s also the fourth Top 25 recruit to commit to Colorado since Sanders took over before the 2023 season. ESPN rated Lewis as the No. 2 quarterback in the country.

He wasn’t supposed to be in this class, either. The Carrollton, Ga., product — who was the Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year for two straight seasons — decided to reclassify and join the Buffs a year early, thus creating some level of competition for Salter.

“Juju is coming around the mountain when he comes, and I love it,” Sanders said. “I love what he brings to the table.”

As a starter, Lewis was 39-4 in high school, threw for 11,101 yards and 144 touchdowns, both of which are Top 7 numbers in Georgia history.

True freshmen rarely become starters, even in an era of accelerated player development at the high school level. Sanders believes the Buffs can with either player, as long as the rest of the team is doing its job.

“I don’t know how it’s going to play out,” he said. “We can’t lose with either of those two.”