Kaidon Salter didn’t come to Colorado last winter expecting to start. The Liberty transfer knew he’d have to earn it on the field.
“Nothing’s given to me,” the senior quarterback told BuffZone in July. “I knew no matter where I went, I was gonna have to go in and compete.”
Salter has officially earned it.
After a full offseason of competing with freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis, Salter was named by head coach Deion Sanders on Tuesday as the Buffs’ starting quarterback for Friday’s season opener against Georgia Tech at Folsom Field (6 p.m., ESPN).
“K-Salt is going to start. You guys knew that,” Sanders said. “The kid has a ton of experience. Dual threat, can throw the heck out of the ball as well. He’s the guy. He’s the guy at this point.
“We’re praying and we’re hoping that you see some JuJu periodically through the game, as well. We would like to get him some reps, as well, but the game predicates that.”
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Salter, who transferred to CU in December, is a dual threat who starred at Liberty the past two seasons, including earning Conference USA Most Valuable Player honors in 2023. He led Liberty to a 21-4 record over the past two seasons.
In 2023, Salter completed 61% of his passes for 2,876 yards, 32 touchdowns and six interceptions, while rushing for 1,089 yards and 12 scores. In 2024, he saw his numbers dip, as he completed 56.3% of his passes for 1,886 yards, 15 touchdowns and six interceptions, while rushing for 587 yards and seven TDs.
Salter began his collegiate career at Tennessee in the spring of 2021, but he transferred to Liberty that summer. In his four seasons with the Flames, he completed 58.7% of his passes for 5,887 yards, 56 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. He has rushed for 2,013 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Throughout preseason camp, Salter has routinely led the first-team offense, and his experience played a role in the decision to start him over Lewis, who graduated from Carrollton (Ga.) High School 1 1/2 years early and won’t turn 18 until Sept. 21.
“Well certainly Kaidon, the experience of having played in a bunch of games in the college level, there’s really no substitute, in my opinion, for good experience,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said Monday.
Sanders has been impressed with Salter throughout the offseason but did lean on Shurmur and newly hired assistant coach Byron Leftwich, who works with quarterbacks, in making the decision.
“I like what he’s been doing in camp,” Sanders said of Salter. “I like what he did in the spring, and he’s growing and growing and growing. Pat is doing a wonderful job with him. And Byron Leftwich has brought a lot to the table when he’s available and he’s able to come and work with him. So I defer to those two coaches to allow me to understand what I see is valid.
“(Salter) is gonna do well. He’s gonna do well.”
Ultimately, the Buffs leaned on Salter’s experience. Although CU is replacing a lot of starters from last year, itap a veteran team with 38 seniors and 23 juniors on the roster.
“He’s done it before,” Sanders said of Salter. “This is not his first time running out the tunnel in getting the start. He’s done it before, and his experience is vital. We don’t tend to seem like a young team. We have a ton of experience on the offense and defensive side of the ball, especially the coaching staff as well.”
While Salter is the starter, the Buffs have high regard for Lewis, a five-star recruit who threw for more than 11,000 yards and 144 touchdowns in three seasons at Carrollton. Lewis will go into the season as the Buffs’ No. 2 quarterback, with redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub — the No. 2 quarterback the last two years — at No. 3.
“JuJu is super talented,” Shurmur said. “He’s seen a lot, and he’ll be able to roll with it. Hopefully, to this point, we’ve given him things to work with, and we’ve trained him on what to see.”
Sanders added: “(Lewis) knows what the future beholds for him. He knows how we see him, and he knows what we expect of him.”
