To read the companion piece to this article arguing for Kaidon Salter, click here.
We’ve got some quarterback drama in Boulder, Colorado.
CU head Coach Deion Sanders chose to play all three of his top quarterbacks against Delaware last weekend, and boy did that decision pay off. While Kaidon Salter continued to dink-and-dunk defenses for short gains and Julian Lewis looked servicable in his collegiate debut, the dark horse third-string Ryan Staub made the most of his opportunity. After torching the Blue
Hens in his limited snaps, I think it’s clear that Staub is the guy the Buffs need under center moving forward this season.
The Good
Let’s start with the obvious. Staub’s 157 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air on only ten pass attempts speak for themselves. That’s a pretty stellar stat line, good for a passer rating of 297.9. Not too shabby!
That kind of production doesn’t just happen by accident. Staub has been with this program for three years now. He’s comfortable in this system, which is abundantly clear. Just by watching him, you can see his poise and calmness in the pocket.
Everyone has been talking about his 71-yard touchdown pass to Sincere Brown, which was phenomenal, but I’m actually more impressed by another play from last Saturday. Let’s take a look at this pass from Staub on CU’s final series before halftime.
Staub has :27 seconds on the clock with only one timeout before Colorado goes to halftime. This is his first drive of the game and first meaningful playing time since he started in place for Shedeur Sanders against Utah in 2023. He finally got his opportunity, and the pressure to deliver here is immense. Instead of letting that pressure get to him, Staub gathers, recognizes a rusher coming from his right, stays calm and delivers an absolute dart to Joseph Williams for 31 yards.
On the very next play, Staub does the same thing. Delaware sends five rushers, and he quickly recognizes that. Somehow, he finds a way to climb the pocket and takes the checkdown to DeKalon Taylor for an easy touchdown. Staub didn’t force his hand here and play hero ball, which is easier said than done. In a scenario like this, given Salter’s tendency to roll out and throw off-balance when pressure comes, often inaccurately, I’m not sure he would have done the same.
Staub’s steady hand brings a level of consistency that this offense desperately needs, especially given how much turnover the Buffs have seen with personnel since last season. His pedigree as a more traditional pocket passer unlocks this offense’s full potential, which is elevated in importance with how talented the wide receiver corps is. With Salter’s track record as an inaccurate passer at times in his two games in Boulder, it’s hard to argue that he can provide that same consistency.
Staub also proved he can be cerebral, as he actually checked out of a play and audibled Brown on a go-route on that 71-yard touchdown. Without Staub recognizing that coverage, the play of the game last Saturday would have never happened.
So far, with what we’ve seen from Staub, it looks like we may have a miniature Shedeur Sanders on our hands here in Boulder, and that might be exactly what this offense needs. Salter’s mobile, option-heavy style of quarterback could just be too drastic a change from the borderline air-raid offense that Colorado ran last season. That’s not a knock on Salter, but Staub might be the right guy for this particular system.
The Bad
In my eyes, the only real knock against Staub is the small sample size we’ve seen from him. He started against Utah in 2023 and impressed, passing for 195 yards and a touchdown. (It should have been three touchdowns, but Pac-12 refs called two Travis Hunter touchdowns back on awful calls.)
If we’re being completely honest, Staub has only seen playing time against an injury-riddled Utah team starting their fifth-string quarterback with nothing to play for and arguably one of the worst teams in the FBS. Torching teams like that is expected. Is he being propped up by virtue of playing inferior competition? An argument could certainly be made for that case.
This isn’t necessarily a knock on Staub, but it’s undeniable that Salter has more experience. Salter has started at the FBS level for three full seasons. He’s been there and done that, leading the Flames to a New Year’s Six bowl in 2023. You can’t say the same about Staub.
Outlook
Ryan Staub got his opportunity and ran with it, impressing Buffs fans everywhere, including his own coaching staff and teammates. Just look at how hyped the locker room and Deion Sanders were for Staub after last weekend’s game. It’s clear the guys in that locker room love him. Why not let him lead them?
When you make the most out of an opportunity like Staub did, you should be rewarded for it. What better way to reward the redshirt sophomore than by giving him another opportunity and the start against Houston on Friday night?
As for Salter, this situation obviously sucks for him, and I genuinely feel awful for the guy. He came to Boulder and has done nothing wrong, other than get a little impatient and force his hand while throwing on the run a handful of times. He was efficient against Georgia Tech and Delaware. This is his last year of eligibility, and gambling on coming to Colorado just to sit on the bench must feel extremely demoralizing.
But at the end of the day, this is a business we are talking about here. Coach Prime isn’t getting paid the big bucks to lose football games. He has an obligation to do only one thing: win football games. By starting Ryan Staub, I think that gives you the best chance to win football games, plain and simple.
No hard feelings, Kaidon, but I think Ryan Staub is Colorado’s guy moving forward. At least until proven otherwise.
