Report: Ryan Staub ‘expected’ to start at QB for Colorado in conference opener

Ryan Staub stole the show from his fellow quarterbacks, Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis, in Colorado’s 31-7 win over the Delaware Blue Hens over the weekend. Staub got two chances to prove himself in the win, and instantly sparked the offense and made a lasting impact that gave the Buffaloes the victory.

His performance also raised questions about how the Buffs would handle the starting quarterback job with conference play looming. After Saturday’s contest, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders said that he knew how he was going to handle the position going forward, but didn’t provide any further insight. Just days later, Buffs fans got their answer.

Sources: Colorado is expected to start Ryan Staub at quarterback for the game at Houston on Friday night. He entered the Delaware game on Saturday as the third-string quarterback and shined, completing 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns. pic.twitter.com/WJL3Aawd08

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 9, 2025

According to ESPN Senior College Sports Insider Pete Thamel, Coach Prime is expected to let Staub carry the momentum from his previous performance into Friday’s conference opener against Houston. This will be just the second start of his career, as the first one came against Utah at the end of the 2023 season in relief for an injured Shedeur Sanders. He has been seen working with the first team in videos from CU practice to begin the week as well.

The redshirt sophomore from California threw for 157 yards and two touchdowns last week, and led the Buffs to three touchdowns in the four drives he played. He showed that he had the confidence to change the play at the line of scrimmage, something the other two signal callers didn’t show, and showed that he’s not afraid to push the ball down the field, another trait that the other two didn’t show.

Staub injected life into a sputtering offense late in the first half on Saturday. That on its own carries a lot of weight, and he clearly looked to be the more poised and ready player under center. There is not any time to waste for the Buffs, as they are underdogs for Friday’s game and have one more “easier” contest before kicking off a grueling Big 12 schedule for good with BYU at the end of the month.

Staub also has a strong relationship with offensive coordinator and play caller Pat Shurmur, as the two are in their third season together. For Salter and Lewis, they only have been working with Shurmur since the start of the offseason. Even though Staub might not be the most talented player in the room, that chemistry with the play caller gives Colorado the best chance to win football games now.

Coach Prime is scheduled to talk later on Tuesday morning, and will likely provide more insight into his decision to go with the in-house veteran over the two newer faces.

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