After much deliberation, the Deion Sanders-driven hype train up in Colorado isn’t halting just yet. This proverbial train has seen a couple of passengers get off, though. Superstar duo Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter ascending to the NFL has spawned questions of whether the program’s upturn has run its course. A comprehensible and even rational school of thought. In this state of flux and uncertainty, the Buffs onboarded Julian Lewis as the long-term successor to Shedeur. However, the baton may not be passed to him just yet. Deion Sanders dipped his feet into the transfer portal, something that’s been his modus operandi at Colorado. He acquired another QB in Kaidon Salter. As Lewis and Salter battle for the QB1 shirt, a college football analyst and ex-player reckons one of these QBs even surpasses Shedeur in terms of the weapons in their arsenal. At least quantitatively, if not qualitatively.

Kaidon Salter may not be a household name amidst Power 4 circles, but he’s a special quarterback. He’s even got the hardware to prove this. Salter is a Conference USA Champion with the Liberty Flames in ‘23. He threw for a program-record 32 TDs that season. Which only scratches the surface of what he’s got in his locker. This is a legit dual-threat guy who can move the sticks with his legs as well. Salter has garnered over 2k rushing yards across three seasons. He’s legged it to the end zone 21 times over that period. All this is baked into why Joe DeLeone didn’t shy away from labeling Kaidon Salter a “better athlete” than Shedeur Sanders. He offered his assessment of Colorado’s QB1-elect alongside Blake Ruffino over “The Ruffino & Joe Show.”

“Salter’s not the level of passer that Sanders is,” he acknowledged. That said, Joe DeLeone kept in perspective CU’s inability to have a balanced offense (their run game alongside Shedeur Sanders was essentially non-existent) when he said the following. “Having someone like Salter, who’s super mobile, who has rushed for 1000 yards before, is going to take this team in a different direction. I don’t want to say it’s going to take it to a new level. Because it’s so hard to replace the football IQ of Sanders. But it’s going to take it to a completely different direction that is going to make them even more dangerous. Salter is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.” A very fair argument. But maybe Joe’s got too much dip on his chip. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for Salter. Ruffino brought up some telling deficiencies in his game.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. When Kaidon Salter gets labeled the 2nd best QB in the Big 12 or “one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country,” he’s riding the coattails of his 2023 season. There are reasons why. But Salter’s 2024 wasn’t as productive statistically nor great on the eye. Liberty lost some of their best players, especially receivers, to the NFL and transfer portal. But that caveat aside, there’s a big issue. Shedeur Sanders’ biggest strength is arguably Kaidon Salter’s biggest weakness—accuracy as a passer. Which shows up in his completion percentage.

“I think his upside can be extremely massive,” said Blake Ruffino to preface his statement. Before then proceeding to air a biblical concern. “I have a massive, massive, massive worry with [Salter]. It is going to be boom or bust. I am projecting that this is going to be boom and not a bust. [But] it worries the outright s–t out of me that he’s only a career 60% completion percentage guy,” remarked Ruffino. For context, Shedeur Sanders holds the all-time FBS record at 71.8%. Something that’s the flag-bearer for his case as a top prospect for the NFL.

Maybe Joe DeLeone was right. This offense is headed in a very different direction! It’ll be fascinating to see how Deion Sanders and co. navigate an entirely different archetype of QB. If Kaidon Salter is chosen to be atop the depth chart and fill the Buffs’ Shedeur Sanders-shaped void, expect a dynamic shift. For better or for worse.