Deion Sanders traveled to Stillwater searching for answers under center. Instead, Colorado’s heavy 57-24 loss to Oklahoma State exposed a deeper crisis. The Buffaloes ended the game with true freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne taking fourth-quarter snaps. That marked the fifth different quarterback Coach Prime has leaned on since his son Shedeur Sanders departed for the 2025 NFL Draft. Sitting at 2-5 overall and winless in Big 12 play, Colorado looks completely lost without a set leader.
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Ever since Shedeur took his talents to the pros, the Buffaloes have run a non-stop game of musical chairs at quarterback. Between Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub taking reps last season, to highly praised freshman Julian Lewis opening this year, stability has vanished. Utah transfer Isaac Wilson was given his chance next, but when he stalled out against Oklahoma State, Sweetwyne became the fifth signal-caller thrown into the fire.
Things actually started bright for Wilson in Stillwater. He completed 14 of 16 passes for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, even running one into the end zone himself. But the collapse came fast after halftime. A fumble on the very first play of the third quarter gave Oklahoma State an easy touchdown, and Wilson’s confidence evaporated.
Two quick interceptions followed as Wilson managed just 58 passing yards in the second half, while Oklahoma State went on a brutal 34-0 run. Sanders had seen enough and pulled his starter. Sweetwyne stepped in for his first trial. His initial drive stalled into a three-and-out, but he ended 3-of-5 for 63 yards, including a 51-yard bomb.
Sanders hasn’t named a starter for Kansas State on Saturday, and he has maintained an open competition stance for the quarterback position. Sweetwyne is a three-star recruit from Skyridge in Utah who ran for 911 yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior. Though he can run as required for the position, he has eighty snaps of proven experience.
Lewis started the first four games, beat Georgia Tech, then threw for 366 yards and four touchdowns against Weber State. After that, Colorado lost to Northwestern and Baylor, scoring 7 and 13.
Lewis finished with 733 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions on 64.2% passing before Sanders benched him at the half against Baylor. Wilson started against Texas Tech and threw three picks, one a pick-six, in a 29-7 loss. He has thrown six interceptions in his last three games.
During Shedeur Sanders’ tenure, Colorado always had a reliable safety net under center. Per college sports metrics, the Buffaloes won 13 of 24 games with Shedeur starting the huddle, but dropped the only game played without him when a back injury sidelined him at the end of 2023.
The program was also flagged 10 times and remains the most penalized team in the league. Sanders said after the Texas Tech game that the quarterback position was “disabling” the team, raising more concerns about the offensive side of the ball without a proven, consistent starter.
Plunging from first to 13th in Big 12 passing marks Colorado’s worst conference ranking under center since 2012. Combining that aerial drop with negative second-half rushing yards against Oklahoma State and five different quarterbacks taking snaps confirms this is no minor bump. It is a verified all-time low for Coach Prime’s offense in Boulder.
Missing out on a bowl game brings serious real-world consequences for Coach Prime. Colorado built massive national spotlight and recruiting buzz during their nine-win 2024 run, despite a tough Alamo Bowl loss. Slipping to a losing record now threatens that momentum. If Sanders cannot fix this quarterback puzzle soon, his ambitious vision for Colorado risks stalling out completely.
With tough matchups remaining against Kansas State, Arizona State, Houston, Cincinnati, and UCF, time is running out. Whomever Sanders picks to start on Saturday must bring immediate stability to a position that has remained broken all season.