Ryan Staub is Colorado’s QB1 moving forward based on common sense. Staub was surprisingly deployed as the Buffs’ starting quarterback at the end of the first half against Delaware to lead CU to a 31-7 win over the Fightin’ Blue Hens last Saturday. He completed 7 of 10 pass attempts for 157 yards and two touchdown tosses.
According to the Denver Gazette’s Tyler King, though, Staub owns the job “until he loses it.” And there’s no guarantee that he’ll ever lose it, per King.
“Coach Prime wouldn’t commit to a starting quarterback at his weekly press conference, but he did let it slip that redshirt sophomore Ryan Staub has been taking the majority of reps at practice,” King prefaced before saying, “The Denver Gazette later asked him if he intends to play just one quarterback this week or use a rotation, like he did against Delaware, and he said he wants to go with just one player at the position. That would lead us to believe that it’s Staub’s job until he loses it. That may be during this game, it may be in a few weeks, or it might not happen at all. But the guy who entered the season as the third-string quarterback is likely going to be the starter three weeks into the season. Can he keep hold of it, or will the Buffs go back to Kaidon Salter at some point?”
What losing QB battle means for Kaidon Salter, Julian Lewis
Kaidon Salter has been unimpressive thus far. To the point where Pat Shurmur seemed to suggest he didn’t think like a quarterback. Shurmur believes the Stevenson Ranch, California, native Staub does.
Julian Lewis, meanwhile, is most certainly taking a redshirt this season. Lewis may pocket a seven-figure salary during a development year. If that can’t keep him in Boulder, that’d be a major loss for the Buffs coaching staff.
Salter never getting a chance at Colorado would be a sad end for the Liberty Flames transfer, but it wouldn’t have much of a long-term effect for the Buffs. Losing Lewis would be catastrophic, though.
We’ll see what sitting behind Staub means for Coach Prime’s combined $1.8 million QB investments.