Colorado QB competition: Deion Sanders reveals where Colorado battle between Kaidon Salter, JuJu Lewis stands

Colorado will have an open competition at quarterback this fall, despite snagging a veteran out of the NCAA transfer portal. Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter is set to compete with heralded true freshman Julian Lewis for the job.

Coach Deion Sanders was asked about his plans at quarterback at Big 12 Media Days on Wednesday. He was open about what he expects.

“We brought both of them because I don’t know which one is going to start,” Sanders said. An immediate follow-up question was asked.

Could Colorado play two quarterbacks this fall? Potentially rotate both within games?

“Yeah. Long as they’re doing their jobs and we’re winning,” Sanders said. “We definitely want to continue to develop JuJu, but Kaidon is unbelievable. Kaidon is off the chain. He’s been there, done that, he can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.

“But JuJu is coming around the mountain when he comes. And I love him, I love what he brings to the table. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, as long as it plays out. We can’t lose either way, with either of those two.”

Whoever ultimately winds up playing the position most for Colorado will have some lofty shoes to fill. Last year’s quarterback was Shedeur Sanders, a household name and an eventually fifth-round NFL Draft pick.

All Sanders did last season was throw for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns, against 10 interceptions. He also ran for four scores and was the heart and soul of the Colorado team offensively.

Salter certainly has the ability to serve as a like-for-like replacement. He offers a bit more in the way of running, too.

The former Liberty star threw for 4,762 yards and 47 touchdowns over the last two years, throwing only 12 interceptions in that span. He also ran for 1,676 yards and 19 scores. He enrolled at Colorado this offseason.

Lewis, meanwhile, was a highly touted recruit for Colorado. He was ranked as a top-100 prospect, checking in at No. 56 overall in the 2025 class. He also ranked as the No. 7 quarterback in the class and the No. 7 overall player from the state of Georgia, hailing from Carrollton (GA) Carrollton.