The Colorado Buffaloes are heading into a must-win clash against Wyoming, and the urgency could not be higher. After a tough 1-2 start to the 2025 season, head coach Deion Sanders has challenged every player to step up, not just for this game, but for every game moving forward. The demand is a clear call for accountability, leadership, and execution across the board, signaling that the team’s problems run deeper than just the depth chart.
Why Is Deion Sanders Demanding More Than Just a Quarterback Solution?
The Buffs enter Week 4 as the favorite against Wyoming, but major questions still loom, especially at quarterback and around the team’s overall identity. Despite the odds being in their favor, this matchup feels critical, not just to get back on track, but to stabilize morale and set the tone for the rest of the season. With pressure mounting, every game now carries weight beyond the scoreboard.
During Coach Prime’s Tuesday press conference, player DJ McKinney offered a glimpse inside the locker room, revealing Sanders’ core message to the team: accountability. Forget the QB controversy for a moment, because Sanders wants every single player to take ownership of their role and deliver.
“Honestly, just accountability. You know, just make sure we are accountable for ourselves as well as our teammates. You know, just own up to our own, like, responsibilities basically, and just execute to our best ability, and then make sure our teammate next to us is doing the same,” McKinney said.
While accountability is key, it is unusual for a Power Five program to reach Week 4 without a clear QB1. Sanders, known for his unorthodox approach to coaching, still has not settled on a starter, and the uncertainty surrounding Colorado’s quarterback situation only continues to grow.
Three different signal-callers have seen meaningful snaps through the first three games, but none have firmly claimed the job. The one bright spot was Ryan Staub’s two-touchdown showing in a relief appearance during Week 2.
Heading into the matchup with Wyoming, Sanders confirmed he has decided who will start at quarterback. The only catch? He has not revealed who that is. “Yeah, most definitely I have,” Sanders said in Tuesday’s media availability when asked if a decision had been made for Week 4.
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So, who will it be? Will it be Staub, who impressed early but followed up his breakout performance with a rough outing against Houston, tossing two interceptions as the offense sputtered in a 36-20 loss? Will Sanders return to Kaidon Salter, the talented transfer who began the season as the presumed starter? Or could Julian Lewis become the third different starter in four games?
Salter was solid in the opener against Georgia Tech, throwing a touchdown and adding a rushing score, but could not lead the team to a victory. Sanders then committed to giving Lewis, a four-star freshman, his first in-game reps in Week 2, where he completed two of four passes for just eight yards. In that same game, Salter was sharp again, completing 13 of 16 passes and adding another rushing touchdown.
However, Staub stood out most in that contest, throwing for a team-high 157 yards and two scores. Still, after Staub’s regression against Houston, Colorado may be right back at square one in its search for a consistent leader under center.