Former Tennessee Vols QB ranked as one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the Big 12

A former Tennessee Vols quarterback was named by On3 this week as one of the top 10 quarterbacks in the Big 12.

On3's Andy Staples listed Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter as the No. 8 quarterback in the Big 12. 

Salter signed with Tennessee during the 2021 recruiting cycle (he signed with the Vols a month before Jeremy Pruitt was fired by UT). 

From On3: Salter went 21-4 as Liberty’s starter the past two seasons, and now his job will be to provide a bridge between Shedeur Sanders and quarterback-of-the-future Julian Lewis. Judging by what Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders said at Big 12 media days, Lewis is coming along more quickly than expected. But that doesn’t mean Salter is just a stopgap. If he can get back to his 2023 production levels (9.9 yards per attempt, 32 TD passes, 6.7 yards per carry, 12 rushing TDs), he could be one of the most dynamic QBs in the Big 12.

When Josh Heupel was hired as Tennessee's head coach in early 2021, one of the first difficult situations he had to deal with was an off-field incident with Salter.  

Salter was suspended in March 2021 for an incident involving drugs and drug paraphernalia before getting reinstated at the beginning of the summer. 

The Texas native ran into trouble again in late June 2021 and was subsequently dismissed from the team. He never played a down for the Volunteers.  

Salter spent the next four seasons at Liberty before transferring to Colorado after the 2024 season.