"He's a tremendous asset": Coach Prime gives fans a closer look at Colorado's QB depth as Julian Lewis vs Kaidon Salter battle heats up

Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders isn't in a hurry to announce who will be his starting quarterback. He held a press conference on Friday to give insight into his expectations for the 2025 season and how the team is developing in practice.

A reporter asked if Sanders had already decided on who, between quarterbacks Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter, would get the starting role. Coach Prime shared that he is only focused on having great practices, and the best player will earn the position.

The NFL legend also mentioned Ryan Staub as a potential candidate. Sanders highlighted that Staub has experience as a backup option for Colorado, which can sway his decision to name the sophomore player as the starting quarterback.

"He's seen some things that has had some consistency in what we want and desire, and what he means to the room is phenomenal," Sanders said (Timestamp: 48:42). "Just being that older guy. That veteran that understands how we want things with these two new guys. So, he's a tremendous asset to that room as well.

Staub has been on the Buffaloes roster as a backup quarterback for two seasons. He played in three games last year, but didn't have any completions. In the 2023 season, Staub achieved 23 completions for 254 yards and one touchdown.

Fans have expected Lewis and Salter to be the only quarterbacks who could replace Shedeur Sanders as Colorado's new starter.

Meanwhile, Lewis signed with Colorado after playing his final year for Carrollton High School Trojans (Carrollton, Georgia). He accomplished 267 completions for 3,798 yards and 48 touchdowns as a senior.

On the other hand, Salter transferred to Colorado after four seasons playing for the Liberty Flames. Last year, he finished with 147 completions for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Both players have openly shared that they are looking to outperform each other to earn the first-string position. But Staub could surpass Lewis and Salter in practices to get the approval of Coach Prime.

Who are the other quarterbacks that Coach Prime has on his roster?

Deion Sanders has a total of five quarterbacks on his roster for the upcoming season. Two players who could serve as a backup option or compete for the starting position are Colten Allen and Dominiq Ponder.

Allen has returned for his third year with Colorado and has yet to play in a game. Before joining Colorado in 2022, Allen played two seasons for the Valor Christian High School Eagles (Highlands Ranch, Colorado). He finished his high school career with 160 completions for 2,315 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Ponder also decided to come back to play for Coach Prime as a sophomore after not seeing action last year. He achieved 40 completions for 580 yards and 11 touchdowns playing for the Naples High School Golden Eagles (Naples, Florida) for three seasons before transitioning to college football.

Ponder initially started his college football career playing for the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats for the 2023 season. He competed in two games for two completions for 33 yards.

The former Naples High School quarterback transferred to Colorado for the 2024 season, hoping to get an opportunity to play. He'll try to impress in practice to be an asset to the team.

Coach Prime is likely to decide soon who will be his new starting quarterback. Colorado will face the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Aug. 29.