Colorado has two talented quarterbacks competing to win the starting job ahead of the Buffaloes' season opener against Georgia Tech on August 29th. In competition are Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and true freshman JuJu Lewis. Salter has the edge in experience, with 29 total starts during his career with the Flames, but it's not a stretch to say that Lewis is the most talented QB - and perhaps player - on the Colorado roster.
It's a heated battle in camp. Deion Sanders gave nothing away at Big 12 Media Days, bringing both signal-callers with him to Frisco, Texas for the event. He spoke highly of both and seemed comfortable rolling with either as the team's starter.
In a post-practice interview on Friday, Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur may have slipped up and revealed the Buffaloes' true plans at the position: a true two-QB system.
"We'll develop a plan of who plays and when once we get to the game," Shurmur said. "Right now, as we go through the installations, we demand they all learn everything that we're doing."
The "and when" is an eye-opening part of the quote. It could mean nothing, but it could also be a preview of Colorado's plans.
It might be asking for too much of Lewis as a freshman to master the entirety of the Colorado offense, but what if he mastered 25% of it? Maybe 50% of it? This allows him to get on the field, and Colorado can utilize his immense talent without throwing too much at him during his freshman season.
JuJu Lewis may be too good to keep off the field
More than anything, the freshman star may be forcing Colorado's hand into a two-QB system. There's not a world where Kaidon Salter is healthy that he doesn't play a significant role on this team. He's a proven starter at the college level and didn't come to Boulder to sit on the bench for his final season of eligibility.
But Lewis looked good in the spring, and looks even better through the early part of fall camp. He's pushing and even outright demanding playing time with his performance.
There's an old saying that if you have two quarterbacks, you don't have any. That has proven true at some places, but a two-QB system has worked sometimes. Ohio State had great success during the 2015 season, alternating between Cardale Jones and J.T. Barrett. Florida won a National Championship in 2006 with Chris Leak and Tim Tebow.
If Colorado travels down this path, I would still expect Salter to be the starter, and for Lewis to have a package of plays each game to get him on the field. Lewis should continue progressing well, especially with the addition of Byron Leftwich to the coaching staff.