Kaidon Salter to start for Colorado in season opener against Georgia Tech

The Colorado Buffaloes have a lot of questions to answer when Georgia Tech comes to Boulder on Friday night to kick off the 2025 season. The Coach Prime era has been filled with instability throughout the roster, but one certain thing has been the quarterback with Shedeur Sanders under center the whole time. With him gone to the NFL, the biggest question on Colorado’s roster is who will be the starting quarterback on Friday.

The competition is between veteran transfer Kaidon Salter and true freshman Julian “Juju” Lewis. Salter, a dual-threat signal caller, transferred to Colorado from Liberty, while Lewis reclassified from the 2026 high school class to 2025 and signed with the Buffs in December. Lewis was a highly sought after prospect, as some sites had him ranked as a five-star quarterback, and has a similar play style to what Sanders put on display the last two years. Salter brings a plethora of experience to the table, as he has played in 35 games in his collegiate career, including the Fiesta Bowl his junior year.

For a full comparison between the two potential quarterbacks, read here.

On Tuesday, Coach Prime put all the speculation to rest, saying that the Buffs are rolling with Salter to open the season.

“He’s the guy, he’s the guy at this point,” Prime said. “At this point, we’re praying, and we’re hoping that you see some Juju periodically through the game as well. We would like to get him some reps as well, but the game predicates that.”

Prime said that Salter’s experience at the position was part of the decision.

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“This is not his first time running out the tunnel and getting the start. He’s done it before, and his experience is vital. We don’t tend to seem like a young team. We have a ton of experience on the offense and defensive side of the ball, especially the coaching staff as well. But I like what he’s been doing in camp. I like what he did in the spring, and he’s growing and growing and growing. Pat [Shurmur] is doing a wonderful job with him… He’s going to do well,” Prime said.

Salter’s best season with the Flames was in 2023 when he led them to a CUSA Championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. Liberty finished the season 13-1 and Salter posted 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns in the air along with 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. His performance slightly regressed in 2024, but now has the tools around him again to find the form he was playing at in 2o23.

Salter only has one year of eligibility left, while Lewis has a whole college career in front of him. This decision is the right move for the Buffs to give them the best chance to win right away while also developing their young prodigy for the future.

Prime also emphasized that Lewis knows what the program is expecting from him down the line.

“He knows where we stand, he knows what the future beholds for him. He knows how we see him, and he knows what we expect of him,” Prime said.

Kickoff against Georgia Tech is set for 6:00 p.m. MDT on Friday night at Folsom Field. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.