This is an excerpt from the BuffsBlog mailbag that previously posted, with some additional information added since the publishing of the mailbag. For more mailbag, including CU-related questions (!) check out the mailbag at:
Which incoming transfer will have the biggest impact this upcoming season? –Johnny C
The answer is Liberty transfer QB Kaidon Salter.
Most CU folks don’t know that Salter was a top 50 prospect nationally coming out of Cedar Hill High School in Dallas. He was ranked the #7 QB nationally, one spot below JJ McCarty at #6 and above Kyle McCord at #8 nationally, Jaxon Dart at #13 nationally, and Jaden Milroe at #14 nationally. Salter ended up signing with Tennessee over offers from nearly every school in the country.
As a point of comparison, CU football savior Juju Lewis was ranked the #6 QB nationally on the 247 composite.
After Salter signed with Tennessee, Tennessee fired head coach Jeremy Pruitt and hired Josh Heupel. Tennessee fans were salivating over the prospect of Salter leading Heupel’s octane-charged offense — it would’ve been a fit made in football nirvana.
Unfortunately, Salter never played a down at Tennessee. He was kicked off the team his freshman year following his 2nd run-in with local police. He was suspended in March 2021 following a “dorm room incident,” and reinstated on June 1. He was involved in another off-field issue later that Summer and was cited with simple possession of an illegal substance and driving without a license. Heupel dismissed Salter from the team immediately.
Salter issued an apology, noting the following:
“My past mistakes are meant to guide me, not define me. Everyone makes mistakes in life, but that doesn’t mean I have to pay for my mistakes the rest of my life. Good people do make bad choices. It doesn’t mean I’m bad. It just means I’m human.”
After being dismissed from Tennessee, Salter entered the transfer portal. He enrolled at Liberty.
Salter saw limited action in the 2022 season, starting 4 games as a redshirt freshman, but still managed to throw for 1,088 yards and 8 touchdowns, while also rushing for 285 yards.
Salter’s play took off in the 2023 season. Salter threw for over 2,400 yards and amassed 29 touchdowns while rushing for 900 yards and adding another 11 touchdowns on the ground (!). Going into the 2024 season, PFF named Salter the #1 QB in the Group of 5 and stated the following:
“Salter is the clear choice for the top spot after leading Liberty to an undefeated regular season and a Conference USA championship last season. He also enters 2024 as the highest-graded returning Group of Five quarterback.
The 6-foot-1 junior is a true dual threat with a big arm and dangerous feet. He placed third in the FBS last season with an 8.3% big-time throw rate and 1,117 rushing yards. He also led all quarterbacks with 57 forced missed tackles. While the Flames face uncertainty on the perimeter with the departure of top receiver CJ Daniels, Salter and his backfield partner Quinton Cooley are expected to continue dominating Conference USA.”
Salter’s 2024 season probably wasn’t as strong as his 2023 season. Liberty had a “down” year in 2024 and finished 8-4, with Salter completing 56.3% of his passes for 1,886 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. He also rushed for nearly 600 yards over the course of the season, averaging about 50 yards rushing per contest.
Still, while Salter’s 2024 season wasn’t as statistically impressive as his 2023 season, Salter graded out at an 82.0 for the 2024 season according to PFF. Any score over 80 is considered “great” and is a higher grade than every player on CU’s team last season with the exception of Travis Hunter and Sheduer Sanders. Read those 2 sentences again —– Salter’s PFF score last year, in a “down” season, was still better than every player on CU’s roster last season with the exception of the Heisman Trophy winner in Travis Hunter and a top 5 NFL draft picks in Sheduer Sanders. If he plays the same way he did in 2024, he’ll be very, very good. If he plays the same way he did in 2023, he’ll be an All-American candidate and high-level NFL draft pick. NFL draftniks were comparing Salter to Clemson QB DeShaun Walter after the 2023 season — and if Salter can rekindle some of that 2023 mojo, he’ll be a high draft pick in the NFL draft.
I don’t think people understand how talented Salter is. He’ll be a difference maker for CU provided he can buy into the team and stay out of trouble.
Now for an important caveat — JuJu Lewis is also on the team. I think Lewis will play some this season but it’s very difficult for a 17-year old college freshman that skipped his senior year of high school to start for a Power 4 team. I do think Lewis will play spot duty this season — Salter’s ability as a runner gives Pat Shurmer some flexibility to run 2 QB sets with Lewis at QB and Salter splitting out as a WR or RB. I expect to see that occassionally, and then I suspect Lewis starts at QB for Buffs in the 2026 season.