There is no question that a healthy Shedeur Sanders will be the starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes.
Getting others ready and finding a top backup is a priority for the Buffs this month, however.
Sanders was a star for two seasons at Jackson State before transferring to CU last winter, but behind him, the Buffs have almost no college experience.
The only scholarship quarterbacks behind Sanders are true freshmen Ryan Staub and Kasen Weisman. Redshirt freshman walk-on Colton Allen is the only returning quarterback at CU, but he hasn’t appeared in a game.
The Buffs also recently added Gavin Kuld, a junior walk-on who threw 34 passes as a backup at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M last year. He threw 89 passes at Monterey Peninsula (Calif.) College in 2021.
Allen and Staub were with the Buffs in the spring, but Kuld and Weisman arrived this summer.
“There’s a lot that they’ve got to pick up on,” CU offensive coordinator/quarterbacks Sean Lewis said Thursday. “They’re learning. The one difference between the two of them is that Gavin is a little bit older and you can tell that he’s got some of that more mature game, collegiate experience from his journey in life. Where Kasen, because of who he is, just a true freshman right now, he’s learning about that transition and being away from home and all the things that go into that.
“I’m excited to pour into all the guys that are in that room and continue to help them grow.”
Sanders is doing his best to help Lewis in that regard and said he’s been impressed with the growth in the other quarterbacks.
“They definitely stepped up, especially from the spring,” Sanders said. “They made a tremendous jump from then to now. It’s completion percentage battles every day and we’re talking stuff to each other every day. It’s a real healthy relationship with all of them. I feel like they understand the offense a lot more. It’s real fun because they get to go against the ones every day.”
Broncos relationship
The Buffs recently had some of the Denver Broncos players working out with them on campus.
Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson had a workout with some of his receivers at Folsom Field. Sanders also spent some time working out with Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton, who played at SMU with Sanders’ older brother, Deion Sanders Jr.
“First of all, (Broncos head coach) Sean Payton and I really close,” CU head coach Deion Sanders said. “We’re tight. He’s a good man, great coach. I can’t wait to see what they do.
“Russell reached out and wanted to come over and bring some of the young men in. We’re also familiar with a lot of the men that plays on that team. So for him to come over and want to use our facilities, it was a blessing because I want our kids to see what a pro looks like. How does a pro work? How do they go about their business? And that was phenomenal for them to see for two days straight.”
Shedeur Sanders said he enjoys building those relationships and asking the pros different types of questions.
“It’s amazing that those guys are really doing it,” Shedeur said.
Coach Sanders said each of the Broncos thanked him for the opportunity to work out at CU.
“They thought I was blessing them; they were blessing us because our kids got to see them come in the weight room and workout and go in the indoor and get some more workouts and they worked out for a length of time,” he said. “That was really good. I wish we could do more of that in the next offseason.”
Notable
Alabama transfer Jahquez Robinson is listed at safety, but coach Sanders said he will play some corner, as well. “Just to give us a little more depth because he’s versatile like that,” he said. … Linebacker Demouy Kennedy, another Alabama transfer, has impressed with his speed. “He can run, he can fly,” coach Sanders said. “His pursuit is unbelievable and I like the passion that he comes to work with; and he loves the game.”