Last year, Coach Prime’s Colorado Buffaloes were making headlines for something beyond the scoreboard. A whopping six sets of siblings on the roster, including the Sanders brothers (Shedeur and Shilo), the Hood bros (Brandon and Colton), the Wester brothers (LaJohntay and Jalen), the Wade twins (Destin and Keaten), and the Mathis duo (Kaleb and Kole). While some of those names are now NFL-bound for the 2025 season, the Buffaloes aren’t short on family ties. As Coach Prime turns the page with his Colorado squad, it’s shaping up to be more of a reload than a rebuild.
For the first time, Deion Sanders is navigating spring without his star quarterback-receiver combo, Shedeur and Travis Hunter, relying on a fresh wave of talent. But the energy on the practice field remains electric, especially with a couple of new additions already creating a stir. Case in point: Kaidon Salter, who made a powerful statement in the Buffs’ Black and Gold scrimmage. And it wasn’t just Kaidon grabbing attention; his brother, a linebacker with serious potential, is also turning heads.
A key takeaway from the scrimmage? The quarterback battle might be tighter than folks expected. While freshman phenom Julian Lewis had preseason hype, transfer Kaidon Salter looked more impressive in the game. Salter showed better pocket presence and kept his cool under pressure, using his legs to extend plays when needed. Despite this, Coach Prime kept the competition wide open, stating, “Both quarterbacks have a way to go. You guys are so used to (Shedeur) that you’ve got to understand that these guys are different. We gotta make sure we maximize their potential.” While Kaidon was the name everyone anticipated, his older brother, Kylan Salter, was quietly carving out his own buzz.
TCU Horned Frogs transfer Kylan was noticeable in this scrimmage, making his presence felt immediately with two tackles for loss on his first two plays. And Kaidon Salter made sure to hype his brother, posting an IG story with a video of the play and a caption that sounded like a warning shot for future Buffs opponents: “He blew that play up instantly.” Kylan even reposted it with a loving “Lil Bro” caption for Kaidon. It looks like the Buffs might have landed another explosive brother combo, following in the footsteps of Shilo and Shedeur.
It’s no shocker that Deion Sanders brought some serious firepower to Boulder. Kylan Salter arrives with a solid .8400 247Sports transfer rating and three years of eligibility. Back in Jan, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 946 overall transfer and the No. 65 linebacker. He significantly boosts Colorado’s linebacker depth, adding both experience and athleticism to the mix.
During his two seasons at TCU under Coach Sonny Dykes, Salter saw action in seven games (all in 2024), recording two tackles, one against Cincinnati. He redshirted in 2023. Coming out of high school as a three-star recruit, 247Sports ranked him as the No. 79 inside linebacker nationally and No. 137 in Texas, while the Composite ranked him No. 673 overall, No. 58 at his position, and No. 99 in-state.
Now that both Kaidon and Kylan are making a strong impression on the team, even Deion Sanders seems pretty impressed, though he’s still hungry for more……
After the game, he commented, “I don’t know until I really see it, because I’m hearing things, and what you said may not add up to what I’m hearing in my ear. So I don’t know. I can’t make a true assessment until I really watch the tape, but I’m proud of their [Salters] progression, but we want more out of everybody, not just him.” No doubt, that game film will give Coach Prime a clearer picture.
But amidst all this brotherly progress, let’s not forget the major QB1 showdown brewing in Boulder.
Kaidon Salter the next QB1 for the Buffs?
High hopes trailed Julian “JuJu” Lewis into his first college scrimmage, but his nerves were clear. He leaned heavily on short passes, rarely testing the deep ball. Many of his throws sailed high, and the offense struggled to find its rhythm under his command. Kaidon Salter faced his own set of challenges, particularly with option plays. He and running back Christian Sarem frequently had miscommunications on handoffs, unsure of who should be carrying the pigskin.
However, Salter did throw the most impressive passes of the day, showcasing arm talent that could very well earn him the starting nod. Ultimately, neither quarterback decisively outshone the other. The QB competition is set to continue throughout the summer, with neither showing a clear advantage just yet. And Deion Sanders made it crystal clear that he’s not naming any starter anytime soon.
“No. Ain’t nobody care about that. Because I may change my mind tomorrow,” he fired back. “So what—what benefits us to name a guy starter? What does that do for us as a team? Nothing. That may do something for you guys—you can have something to talk about—but that don’t do nothing for us. It does nothing for us. So it don’t. I’m not doing that. Matter of fact, I don’t even know who’s going to be that guy right now anyway. So I don’t have the propensity to do it because I don’t know. They got to perform with consistency.” So, it’s pretty obvious that Deion Sanders isn’t going to rush this crucial decision.
But he did make sure to comment on JuJu and Kaidon Salter’s development, saying, “They’re getting better and better, They’re starting to understand the system. It’s tougher on (offensive coordinator) Pat (Shurmur) and our offensive coaches because you have two different types of quarterbacks. You’re pretty much calling in two different offenses. When this guy’s in, you call it this way. When this guy’s in, you called it that way.”
Even though Coach Prime isn’t tipping his hand on a starter, it’s pretty clear Kaidon Salter might just have a slight edge. After all, who wouldn’t want that 2023 Salter, who just steered Liberty Flames to a killer 13-1 season, snagged a Conference USA title, and threw for 2876 yards, 32 TDs while also tearing it up on the ground for 1089 yards and 12 more scores? But for now, all eyes are on how both QBs perform throughout the summer grind.
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