Colorado stuck in quarterback carousel without son Shedeur Sanders

Colorado Buffaloes are in a quarterback carousel this season as Deion Sanders navigates life without his son, Shedeur Sanders, who moved on to the NFL. The Buffaloes — sitting at 1-2 — have shuffled through options as they attempt to replace the production Shedeur provided during his tenure and while he pursues an NFL path. This week, Colorado moved back to Kaidon Salter as the starting quarterback after Salter had previously lost the job to Ryan Staub. Staub started Colorado's 36-20 loss to Houston on Friday, throwing two interceptions. Salter started the first two games, amassing 261 passing yards with one touchdown and no interceptions across those appearances.

Colorado opened the season with a loss to Georgia Tech, then used all three quarterbacks in a 31-7 win over Delaware. In that Delaware game, freshman Julian Lewis saw substantial action, underscoring the staff’s willingness to rotate talent at quarterback as the team searched for a sustainable answer. The revolving door at the position underscores the challenge for Deion Sanders, who has long leaned on his son as the quarterback anchor of the program. Colorado had relied on Shedeur as the primary starter in each of the last two seasons since Sanders took over in 2023, following his time coaching at Jackson State and guiding his son through high school and college.

The absence of Shedeur has also shaped the broader narrative around the program. Shedeur started for Colorado in the last two seasons after Deion took over in 2023, and before that he starred at Jackson State from 2021-22. The current season marks the first time Deion Sanders has navigated Colorado without that father-son, coach-player dynamic. Separately, Shedeur Sanders has pursued an NFL path with the Cleveland Browns, where he sits on the quarterback depth chart as a third-stringer behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel. The arrangement leaves Colorado without its familiar on-field quarterback anchor even as the elder Sanders continues to coach and guide the program from off the field.

Colorado continues to evaluate options at quarterback as it seeks consistency in a demanding schedule. With the rotation in flux and no single incumbent emerged during the early season, the Buffaloes are counting on their support staff and players to build rhythm and execution at the most critical position. The team’s results thus far reflect the uncertainties that come with a changing quarterback room, and the path forward remains less predictable as the season unfolds.