You never know what you have until you put it to the test. For Colorado’s Ryan Staub, that moment came out of nowhere in Week 2. A kid buried on the depth chart suddenly turned into a headline act. He wasn’t supposed to be here, at least not in this role. After Colorado’s disastrous 1-11 finish in 2022, Mike Sanford was pushed out, Shedeur Sanders arrived, and the Staub story faded into the background. Yet instead of bolting, the Southern California recruit stuck around, serving as the quiet shadow for his HC’s son for two full seasons. That loyalty paid off under the Friday night lights in Boulder. And in true Deion Sanders fashion, the Buffs may have stumbled upon their next big thing.

On September 12, Brian Howell shared an intriguing fact on X about Staub. “For Ryan Staub, he went 656 days between his first and second starts. That’s the longest stretch between starts for a Colorado quarterback since Rick Wheeler (699, 1985-87).” Nearly two years of standing on the sidelines, waiting, only to walk in and torch defenses like he had always been a QB1. And that’s historic. 

Deion Sanders gave Ryan Staub his first real chance last week against Delaware, a game that began as an audition and ended as a statement. With just 45 seconds left in the first half, he trotted out, already down 0-for-2 on his opening throws. Then came the flash. A 31-yard strike. A 21-yard touchdown that got the Buffs up before halftime. And if that wasn’t enough to raise eyebrows, he opened the third quarter with a jaw-dropping 71-yard bomb on third down. By the time he was done, Colorado led 31-7 and the QB had authored three touchdown drives on four possessions. But not everyone was shocked. 

Coach Mike Sanford, the man who originally recruited Ryan Staub, had been quietly calling this for years. “My take is he’s the best quarterback of the three, period, no matter how they got there,” he told USA TODAY Sports this week. “The world of football still comes down to a meritocracy and whoever’s the best ultimately is going to have the opportunity to get out there and play.”

The former Buffs coach admits the bias. But he also knows the kid. He watched him commit nearly a year before Deion Sanders arrived in Boulder with Shedeur in tow. He also watched the QB stay put when Colorado added Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and hyped-up freshman Julian Lewis this offseason. Lesser competitors would’ve bolted, but Staub doubled down. And Coach Prime noticed.

Can Ryan Staub be Deion Sanders’ big QB decision?

Deion Sanders doesn’t do indecision. When he says, “I’m not lost for direction,” you believe him. That’s why his post-Delaware comments carried weight because he already knows who’s taking the next snap. He hasn’t stamped Ryan Staub as the starter publicly, but the tea leaves are impossible to miss. The QB has been taking the majority of first-team reps, and the HC isn’t in the business of giving that kind of opportunity to someone he doesn’t trust. But here’s where it gets tricky. 

Deion Sanders didn’t recruit Ryan Staub. His QB blueprint since landing in Boulder has leaned on big names, transfers, and 5-star headliners. That’s why Kaidon Salter was brought in after leading Liberty to a 13-1 season, and why JuJu Lewis was signed as one of the most hyped freshmen in the 2025 class. He knows headlines sell, and Ryan Staub, until now, wasn’t exactly selling stuff. And the HC did say he wanted to test his QBs in the Delaware game, saying, “somebody was going to come out of the pack.”

This is more than a one-game call. This is the decision that could define Colorado’s season and Deion Sanders’ reputation as a program builder. If Ryan Staub holds up against Houston, his HC can cement himself as the coach who can spot overlooked talent and turn it into wins. If he falters, the ‘Why not Salter or JuJu?’ chorus will get loud fast.