Nobody said replacing Shedeur Sanders would be easy, but here we are. Colorado’s most chaotic QB race in decades is officially underway, and two names have taken center stage: Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis. It’s the old head versus the wonder kid. One’s a dual-threat highlight reel with battle scars from Liberty. The other is a 17-year-old five-star prodigy. And here’s the kicker: Deion Sanders himself isn’t ready to name a starter. “We brought both of them because I don’t know which one is going to start,” he said at Big 12 Media Days, dropping jaws across the room.

So let’s talk about the vet. On July 11th, Kaidon Salter sat down with Thee Pregame Show and peeled the curtain back on the QB battle and life under Coach Prime. And yeah—he kept it all the way real. “Oh yeah, most definitely,” Salter said when asked if his previous QB competitions prepared him for this one. “Coming in as a true freshman, I played behind Malik Willis. Then that next year, I was in a competition battle with Charlie Brewer and Jonathan Bennett. So I know what it feels like.” Before throwing bombs all over the field and breaking ankles, Kaidon Salter had to wait for his stride behind Malik Willis. But this one?

“This quarterback competition is a little different,” he added. “I’m the vet in the room now. And just being able to keep on building a bond with Juju (Lewis)—you know, we’ve already built that big brother-little brother type of bond.” That’s not lip service, either. Salter’s seen the fire in Lewis’ game. “Juju, he’s a very confident player. He’s a younger guy, but he knows what it takes to play at this level. He’s so much like me when I was a freshman. He comes in, plays with a ton of confidence, and throws the ball with conviction,” Salters said.

And that’s the real headline here: not just that these two are competing, but that they actually like each other. When the questions moved to to Coach Prime, Salter kept it 100% honest. “Truly honor and blessing from God. Just being able to play for Coach Prime and the staff we have here… they know what it takes to get to the next level. I mean, we’ve got three gold jacket Hall of Famers on our coaching staff,” said Salter. The Boulder coaching is literally stacked with ex-NFL stars. That staff includes Sanders, defensive pass-rush coordinator Warren Sapp, and running backs coach Marshall Faulk. Not exactly your average sideline crew.

Salter brings more than just respect, though. He brings numbers. Real ones. He passed for 5,889 yards, tossed 56 touchdowns, rushed for another 2,006 yards and 21 scores during his four seasons at Liberty. He’s seen it all—bowl games, blowouts, shootouts—and he’s still only scratching the surface. And let’s be honest: Colorado needs someone who’s not afraid. Last season, they leaned heavily on Shedeur Sanders’ arm and Travis Hunter’s star power. This year? Four of their top receivers are in the NFL. Which means this offense isn’t going to be as pass-happy as before. That’s where Salter’s RPO magic comes in.

He’s not just a guy who runs when things break down, he designs the breakdowns. He led Liberty to a 13–1 season and a New Year’s Six bowl in 2023, their first Fiesta Bowl appearance ever. Yes, Oregon humbled them 45-6, but that’s not the point. That mobility gives OC Pat Shurmur more room to get funky with play calls. Picture this: Salter rolling left, defenders crash, boom—he hits the tight end across the middle. Next play, fake the handoff, gone for 30 up the sideline. That’s the kind of chaos Colorado needs. But what about Juju Lewis?

Julian Lewis vs Kaidon Salter QB1 prediction

Julian Lewis, on the other hand, is all potential. The five-star freshman is getting compared to Bryce Young—and that’s not small talk. Andrew Ivins from 247Sports said Lewis “Lacks elite physical traits, but is an elite distributor of the football with his quick release and advanced mechanics that picked apart defenses in the Peach State’s highest classification.” Look, Lewis balled out in spring practices too, but he still looked like a 17-year-old boy in pads. The upside is there, no question. But is he ready now?

Colorado has to answer that question fast. The Buffs kick off against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29, and while they might split reps early, this ain’t a two-QB system type of team. They need a dude. A leader. Someone who can steady the ship when the altitude gets heavy and the Big 12 D-lines start crashing. And look, Julian Lewis is the future but Kaidon Salter might be the now.

Salter gives Colorado a real shot to go punch-for-punch in the Big 12. He’s not here to sit, and Coach Prime didn’t bring him in just to mentor the next guy. If CU wants to compete now—like really now—Salter’s gotta be the guy. The former Liberty QB got more than 7,800 total yards and 77 touchdowns to his name. He’s played in front of 70,000. He low-key beat a borderline ranked team (#20 New Mexico in USA Championship game) in 2023.

And it’s not like Colorado’s got a stacked receiver room this year. With Travis Hunter and Jimmy Horn Jr. gone, Salter’s legs could be the difference in converting 3rd-and-9s into 1st-and-10s. That improvisational skill is the safety net this new-look offense needs. If Shurmur’s trying to open up the offense and add unpredictability, Salter’s the better fit. He can create outside structure, buy time, and force defenses to account for the run game from the QB slot. Lewis will get his time, probably sooner than later. But come week 1? It’s Kaidon Salter’s job to lose.