All this time, we thought the battle was neck and neck. While folks were busy hyping up five-star phenom Julian “JuJu” Lewis, another name kept popping up behind the scenes—Kaidon Salter. He might’ve already walked in and kicked his cleats up on the coffee table. And the crazy part? Some Buffs insiders say it’s not even a debate anymore, at least for the season opener.

On June 4th, Colorado insider Kevin Borba didn’t just weigh in—he made a call. Live on the ‘Locked on Buffs’ podcast, he laid down the verdict: Kaidon Salter, not Julian Lewis, is the guy. “Now, I think a lot of people are going to disagree with this overall take,” Borba opened. Then he cooked: “In the spring game, I thought the offense moved better with Kaidon. All I thought Julian Lewis, although he had, he has a great arm, maybe one of the probably having the best arm in college football when it’s all said and done, I just think the offense moved better with Kaidon Salter. I like that he could use his legs.”

Kevin Borba doubles down on Kaidon Salter hype train. “So I think that took away part of the special element that he brings to the table. He’s probably the best dual-threat quarterback in college football, or at least the top five, right? So I go with King Salter. He has experience. He has a good arm, an underrated arm, and he brings a different element to the game with his legs.” Translation: Deion Sanders might lean toward a QB with legs since the Buffs lost 4 wide-outs to the league. And who has better legs than Kaidon Salter in Boulder? Nobody. Period.

Even though JuJu Lewis was deadlifting 375 lbs on Memorial Day and hitting extra workouts while folks were grilling ribs, that grind doesn’t guarantee a QB1 spot. Borba said it like this: “You rotate quarterbacks? That’s a sign your team’s struggling.” Salter isn’t some charity start. He’s the one moving the chains, not the headlines.

And let’s be real: freshman quarterbacks starting day one? That’s rare. Trevor Lawrence didn’t do it. Bryce Young didn’t either. Five-star hype is cute until Week 1 smacks you across the helmet. Borba made it plain. “Kaidon Salter is going to start, that’s my prediction. I’m certainly confident in that. And he’s going to start, and I think he’s going to do quite well. That being said, I’ve covered teams who have popular backs and quarterbacks that cover Texas, right? I’ve covered, I mean, even a program like Stanford, which has a four-star quarterback out of modern-day back in the day, everyone wanted him to play right away, and he wasn’t playing right away. Last year, people were upset. Graham Mertz, Florida. Last year, everyone wanted DJ Lagway. It’s very uncommon for a five-star quarterback to start right away.”

But for Salter, this isn’t just about starting—it’s about securing that NFL bag. One strong year in the Big 12 under Coach Prime’s spotlight? That’s a scout magnet. For Lewis, a redshirt year behind Salter wouldn’t be a setback—it’d be a setup. Because, let’s face it, Lewis didn’t flip from USC to Colorado just to ride Pine forever. He’s next up. But for now? It’s Kaidon’s time.

Buffs insider picks Kaidon over Julian

Now here’s where things get crystal. DNVR Buffs’ own Ryan Koenigsberg came through with a loud confirmation: Deion already made his pick for training camp. And yes, it’s Salter. “There’s no doubt in my mind that Kaidon can do it,” Koenigsberg said. “There’s just a different level of precision from JuJu when it comes to that stuff… but Salter’s running threat? That’s a whole other aspect they want to lean into.”

Salter is not some plug-and-play QB. He’s the type of piece you build your offense around. Liberty’s system had him unleashing chaos—6,438 passing yards, 66 touchdowns—and now he’s bringing all that heat to the Big 12. That’s why Coach Prime snatched him straight out of the portal. The Buffaloes want action on the ground this season. Period. As Koenigsberg’s co-host Jake Schwanitz said, “It’s all about the running game for me. That’s what this season is about.”

Now, this doesn’t mean Lewis is toast. Far from it. The freshman still might get burned later in the season—especially if Salter stumbles or if Colorado needs a late-season spark. But what we’re hearing now is that Sanders wants consistency, not chaos. That means one voice, one rhythm, and one man calling plays. And that QB, for now, is Kaiden Salter.

What’s wild is that both quarterbacks have legit storylines: Lewis flipped from USC in a move that shocked recruiting boards nationwide. Salter’s trying to go from Liberty torchbearer to Big 12 breakout. But it’s the now that’s driving this narrative. With only three months left till kickoff against Georgia Tech, Coach Prime needs a steady hand—not a learning curve.

Coach Prime doesn’t play by the book. He’ll flip the script on you mid-verse if it means winning. So yeah, Lewis could still steal the spotlight later. But insiders like Koenigsberg are betting on Salter’s experience, mobility, and grown-man energy to carry the Buffs through Week 1 and beyond.

No co-pilot. No sharing the wheel. Just a veteran, a mission, and a countdown to August 28.