USA Today explains how Deion Sanders’ CU Buffs will ‘win differently’ without Shedeur, Travis Hunter

Colorado Buffaloes football coach Deion Sanders can’t rely on Heisman Trophy finalists like Travis Hunter and his son, Shedeur, during the 2025 season. That’s why Coach Prime’s program plans to “win differently” this season.

Those were Sanders’ words.

USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer explained that Pat Shurmur may scheme plays for multiple quarterbacks. Mainly, that means deploying Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis under center, though Coach Prime has also invited Ryan Staub to speak to the media, making it at least possible that all three get a look.

“They could end up playing both quarterbacks, each of whom has a different style. Salter has only one year of college eligibility left and is a threat to run or pass. Lewis is only 17 years old and is more of a drop-back passer,” Schrotenboer wrote.

Lewis admitted that he didn’t expect Coach Prime and Co. to add a player as good as Salter when he committed to the program last November.

“Lewis signed with Colorado in December about two weeks before Salter committed. He told USA TODAY Sports in July he expected Colorado coaches to bring in more depth at quarterback but ‘didn’t think it would be a guy of Kaidon’s caliber of course,’” Schrotenboer wrote.

Lewis played that off, but being surprised about the level of competition in the QB room isn’t every high school recruit’s favorite first discovery at their new school. We’ll see by year two how he handles that development.

Coach Prime won with Shedeur’s arm talent. It appears he’s tentative to fully commit to Salter’s dual-threat capabilities or the freshman Lewis’s pocket control.

Sanders still believes Colorado is coming, though. And after turning CU around so swiftly, there’s no reason not to believe him.