Unexpected Colorado QB Earns Shedeur Sanders’ Attention as Coach Prime Opens 3-Way Battle

It’s always a big deal when an unlikely playmaker steps into the spotlight. And in Boulder, that spotlight usually shines brightest on the QB. Last fall, this California kid barely scratched the stat sheet with three games, zero completions, and more questions than answers. But on Saturday, he had the whole stadium buzzing, including Shedeur Sanders himself. Because while Colorado rotated three QBs against Delaware, only one made a statement and had the audacity to hit the Buffs’ old trademark watch celebration move. 

Shedeur Sanders may be suiting up for the Cleveland Browns now but his imprint in Boulder isn’t fading anytime soon. On September 6, he reposted a DNVR Buffs post of Ryan Staub, his understudy hitting “The Shedeur” after a touchdown, dropping a simple emoji. And he earned that respect by delivering when Colorado needed it most. 

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After Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis sputtered through the first half, Ryan Staub entered and promptly ignited a lifeless offense. On his first drive, he had a 75-yard march capped with a 21-yard strike to Dekalon Taylor. After that play, Deion Sanders wrapped him up on the sideline and told him straight, “I believe in you, man.” And that was a turning point. On the Buffs’ very next possession, he uncorked a 71-yard bomb to Sincere Brown that sent Folsom Field into chaos. 

Less than two minutes into the half, Colorado led 24–7, and Ryan Staub was celebrating with Shedeur Sanders’ signature pose like he’d been waiting years for that moment. Truth is, he had. His journey is the kind of underdog script Hollywood would love. The lone survivor of Colorado’s 2022 recruiting class, he stayed in Boulder when every other signee transferred out. He didn’t pout, didn’t portal, didn’t flinch. He stuck it out behind Sanders, learning the system, waiting for a crack. 

“I’m in the middle of year three and obviously I have goals and dreams in mind,” he said before the season kickoff. “But it’s a long journey and I’m pushing every day.” Saturday was validation, a payoff for patience in an era where loyalty is a dying currency. One breakout performance can change a QB’s career but keeping that momentum depends on whether the HC truly buys in.

Coach Prime has a new QB to consider

At CU’s Fall Sports Media Day, Deion Sanders made it clear that Ryan Staub isn’t just a camp body but a “tremendous asset.” “Don’t underestimate Staub and what he brings to the table and what he brings to the room,” he said. “He’s been in that room for the last couple of years, so he’s seen some things that has had consistency in what we want to desire. What he means to that room is phenomenal just being the older guy, that veteran that understands how we want things with these two new guys.” And Coach Prime wasn’t bluffing.

After Kaidon Salter’s 80-yard, no-TD showing and Julian Lewis’ uninspiring two completions, Coach Prime had seen enough. He rolled the dice with the veteran, and Ryan Staub rewarded that trust with confidence, poise, and touchdowns. Deion even tweeted after the game saying, “I saw what everybody else saw today.” And perhaps, that translates to ‘my QB room just got real interesting.’

Colorado’s offense now has a three-man battle on its hands. Salter is the transfer with pedigree. Lewis is the young talent with upside. But Ryan Staub is the glue guy, the holdover, the QB who kept believing when no one else did. And on Saturday, he earned more than just snaps. He earned Shedeur Sanders’ attention, Coach Prime’s trust, and maybe, just maybe, a real shot at the job.

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