Deion Sanders' search for answers for an offense that has yet to establish any sort of identity or consistently move the football led him to start third-string QB Ryan Staub last week at Houston.
Results were mixed, mostly negative, with a couple of moments of promise. But it wasn't what Colorado needed, and certainly not what Coach Prime wanted out of the position.
Now, heading into Saturday's matchup against Wyoming, Sanders is reportedly going back to the guy who won the job in preseason: Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter
Colorado is expected to shift back to Kaidon Salter as its starting quarterback, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) September 17, 2025
Started the first two games. Now in line to take back over as the starter after Ryan Staub started for Colorado this past weekend.https://t.co/Jke8JXLdRG pic.twitter.com/xw3dc3cZKs
Salter struggled in the season opener against Georgia Tech. He looked fine against Delaware, but the offense was much more explosive with Staub in the game.
Pat Shurmur needs to put Kaidon Salter in a position to succeed
Salter has to shoulder some of the blame for not yet looking like the dynamic playmaker he was at Liberty, but so should OC Pat Shurmur, who has seemed to have no idea how to best take advantage of Salter's dual-threat skills.
There's a reason multiple opposing coaches have commented that the offense hasn't looked any different, regardless of which quarterback has been in the game for the Buffs. That's baffling, considering how different the skill sets are for Salter and Staub.
Shurmur has to let Salter take some shots down the field. The passing game has been far too horizontal, which has allowed defenses to creep up near the line of scrimmage and take away Salter's greatest strength: his feet.
The Buffs hoped to be more of a power running team this season with an experienced offensive line, a talented group of running backs, and Salter's tremendous ability as a runner. That hasn't come to fruition yet, but there's still time for Sanders and Shurmur to right the ship offensively.
If Shurmur can't figure out how to get Salter in the best position to succeed, then perhaps a change at play-caller is warranted. The Buffs just so happen to have a Super Bowl-winning OC on the staff who would likely be a significant upgrade.
If the offense doesn't kick into gear - and quickly - then Colorado fans might get their wish and see play-calling duties handed over to Byron Leftwich.
Time is running out for Colorado to get it figured out. After this weekend's home matchup against Wyoming, the Buffaloes will face nothing but Big 12 opponents the rest of the way.