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Deion Sanders Praises Colorado QB After Shedeur Sanders Reaction

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Rowan Fisher-Shotton | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 7:55 PM ET

The Colorado Buffaloes earned their first win of the college football season on Saturday, defeating Delaware 31–7 at Folsom Field behind a sharp performance from third-string quarterback Ryan Staub.

The junior, who entered the game late in the second quarter after Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis failed to generate consistent offense, completed 7-of-10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

His 71-yard strike to Sincere Brown early in the third quarter broke the game open, extending Colorado’s lead to 24–7 and shifting momentum decisively in favor of the Buffaloes.

After the big play, Staub hit Shedeur Sanders' trademark celebration, drawing an immediate response from Sanders, who reacted on X, "."

https://t.co/tvNdVGUWN7
— Shedeur Sanders (@ShedeurSanders) September 6, 2025

Staub’s performance came after two years as Sanders’ backup and amid a crowded quarterback room that includes Salter, a Senior transfer from Liberty, and Lewis, a five-star freshman recruit.

Coach Deion Sanders praised Staub’s patience and loyalty postgame, saying, "It means a lot to me that he stuck around when he could’ve easily dipped (transferred)."

Coach Prime on QB Ryan Staub: “It means a lot to me that he stuck around when he could’ve easily dipped (transferred).”
— Scott Procter (@ScottProcter_) September 6, 2025

Who is Ryan Staub?

Staub committed to Colorado in 2022 as a three-star recruit out of West Ranch High School in Stevenson Ranch, California. He was ranked the No. 47 quarterback nationally and the No. 110 player in California by 247Sports.

Staub saw limited action in his first two seasons at Colorado. In 2023, he appeared in three games, including a start against Utah in the season finale when Sanders was injured. He completed 17-of-24 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown to Travis Hunter in that game. In 2024, Staub redshirted and played just 20 snaps across three games.

Despite the arrival of Salter and Lewis in the offseason, Staub chose to remain in Boulder.

"I had a dream and saw something and wanted to chase it," he said after Saturday’s win. "I love being here and I love playing for Coach Prime. All I needed was the opportunity."

The Colorado QB Picture Going Forward

Colorado’s quarterback situation remains fluid. Salter started the game and ran for a touchdown on the opening drive, finishing 13-of-16 for 102 yards and adding 38 rushing yards. Lewis, meanwhile, played two series in the second quarter but failed to move the offense.

Staub’s performance has now complicated the depth chart, with Sanders hinting at a reevaluation of the starting role.

"I got a plan, I had a plan coming into this game. I have a plan," Sanders said. "I don’t know if I’m going to disclose it until I get to our destination, but I saw what everyone else saw today. Martin Luther Staub. That’s what he said, ‘I had a dream,’ right?".

FOX Sports analyst RJ Young and others have already advocated for Staub to be named QB1 ahead of Colorado’s Big 12 opener at Houston next week.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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