With Shedeur Sanders gone from the quarterback room to the pro league, the expectations are sky-high for Colorado’s next QB. Last year, he lit up with a 74% completion rate and a 9-4 record. But those 10 interceptions and 42 sacks hampered his success. While his arm talent was top-tier, his run game faltered. Now, with Sanders in the NFL, it’s Kaidon Salter‘s moment to grab the center stage. With a strong start in both running and passing, Salter can spark a much-needed shift. The spotlight’s hot, and analysts are already calling dibs on him. And, if he performs well, he might just completely transform Colorado’s offense.

CU Buffs head coach Deion Sanders‘ quest for his offensive leader continues, but the spring game was a significant step. Kaidon Salter completed 11 of 19 passes for 79 yards, but threw an interception, while his QB1 spot competitor, Julian Lewis, was slightly more effective, completing 10 of 18 passes for 63 yards and a touchdown. Still, Kaidon’s impressive past season—1,886 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions—speaks for itself. No wonder Coach Prime’s putting his chips on Salter to steer the ship this fall. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Kaidon can do it. There’s just a different level of precision from JuJu when it comes to that stuff,” Sanders said.

But he isn’t the only one trusting Kaidon Salter’s ability to thrive this season. That’s why Fox Sports analyst RJ Young has him in his top 5 list of players rushing for more than 1000 yards. “Honestly, it’s Kaidon Salter at Colorado. I think we’re going to find out quite a bit about just how mobile he needs to be behind this offensive line early.” Young said on his Adapt and Respond podcast. If Young’s prediction is right, it will show up against Colorado’s season opener against Georgia Tech. “Georgia Tech’s going to be good, right? They’re not a bad football team. They felt so good about their seven-win season last year they made rings to commemorate it. Now they’re going into this thing with another guy that can run, like a Haynes King,” he added.

Last season, Kaidon Salter rushed for 587 yards with 7 TDs, and going just double of it might not be a problem for him. But Colorado simply couldn’t get anything going on the ground the past two seasons. So, it’s time for Salter to step up. “I think because we have seen an utter lack of running back talent and offensive line push from Colorado since Prime arrived, you want Kaidon Salter to take as much of that off your plate as you can. Shedeur just didn’t have that in the bag. That’s not what he’s going to do. He’s going to run around and throw. It’s why he took so many sacks. You don’t want to take any more sacks. You want to keep the ball moving forward,” Young pointed out.

He’s spot on. In 2023, Colorado’s rushing attack averaged a paltry 2.3 yards per carry. The following year saw a slight improvement to 2.5, but they still managed only 65.2 rushing yards per game. That’s not moving the chains; that’s spinning their wheels. However, with running backs like Simeon Price (3.1 yards per carry) and FCS transfer DeKalon Taylor, the Buffs are counting on Salter to shoulder the load and keep defenses guessing.

And on top of that, their running back coach, Marshall Faulk, brings valuable NFL experience that could help turn the team’s ground game around. “We’ll see what Marshall Faulk can add to that running back room because while Marshall Faulk is a Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer, he’s taken over as running back coach for the worst rushing team in FBS last year.” But let’s not forget he is one of the only three NFL players to reach at least 10,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving, along with Marcus Allen and Tiki Barber. So, that’s an impressive addition.

But let’s just hope Kaidon Salter doesn’t mess up like Shedeur Sanders did last year.

Shedeur Sanders’ whopping concern

Deion Sanders’ impact on Colorado is undeniable; he transformed the program’s record from 4-8 to 9-4 in a single season, largely due to Shedeur Sanders’ stellar performance: 4,134 passing yards, 37 touchdowns, and a 74% completion rate. But let’s not forget the inconsistencies he faced.

Budd Elliot and Adam Munsterteiger of Buff Stampede discussed future challenges on a recent Cover 3 Podcast episode. He didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “I think it’s got to look a lot different than the 10 personnel looks with Shedeur Sanders having that accuracy and arm talent,” Munsterteiger said. “He’s got the quarterback talent that’s much better than a fifth-round pick. So you’re having to replace that, and so it’s got to be a more balanced attack.” The Buffs’ weak rushing attack is a serious problem they can no longer ignore.

Munsterteiger intensified concerns about the running game. “You can’t compete for championships if you have no running game, and that really was the case for Colorado the last two years. Dead last in the FBS ranks in rushing offense the last two seasons.” Their rushing attack ranked 110th in EPA last season, and they sacked Shedeur Sanders at an alarming 8% rate. He evaded defensive linemen more often than he followed his reads. That’s something Kaidon Salter can’t repeat.

Colorado is trying to revamp its offense in 2025. Pat Shurmur, the offensive coordinator, used to design plays around Shedeur’s passing ability, but that’s changed now that he’s left. The team also lost their key players, LaJohntay Wester, Will Sheppard, and Isaiah Augustave, to the portal. The Buffs balanced their roster by adding tight end Zach Atkins and dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter from Liberty. “You bring in Kaidon Salter, a quarterback transfer from Liberty, that is a true dual threat, and I think that could just balance out your offense pretty quickly right there,” said Munsterteiger.

Now, with a new offensive line and a new QB, let’s see how their game turns out this season.