Kaidon Salter: QB Role| Message| 40 Time| Stats

Introduction

Kaidon Salter, the newly minted starting quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, steps into his role amid high expectations. As a transfer from Liberty University, the 6’1″, 190-lb dual-threat signal-caller brings both poise and dynamism to a University of Colorado offense in transition. This article explores his QB role, the message it sends within the program, his reported athleticism (including hypothetical 40-yard dash capability), and a deep dive into his statistical profile.

1. QB Role: The New Face Under Center

After the departure of Shedeur Sanders—who completed 74% of his passes for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns last season—Colorado needed a proven leader at quarterback.

Kaidon Salter, a senior expected to lead the offense, is no stranger to high-volume production. At Liberty, he posted a career-total of 5,887 passing yards, 56 touchdowns, and 2,006 rushing yards with 21 TDs.

Head coach Deion Sanders has emphasized Salter’s readiness and leadership:

“Kaidon is off the chain … he can get the job done. I wouldn’t have brought him here if I didn’t trust him.”
Media day confirmed Salter has officially taken over QB1 duties, though freshman Julian (Juju) Lewis remains in the mix for reps.

2. Message: Stability Amid Transition

Naming Salter QB1 broadcasts a message: Colorado is leaning on experience to shepherd a new offensive identity.

Stability: Salter’s four seasons as a starter at Liberty, including a spectacular 2023 campaign, bring reliability to a position that has seen recent change.
Offensive identity shift: Salter’s dual-threat skill set promises a more run-centric, dynamic play style featuring read-options and RPOs—notable shifts from the pass-heavy approach under Sanders.
Mentorship: With QB mentor Byron Leftwich and coordinator Pat Shurmur in place, Salter benefits from elite quarterback coaching—something Colorado sees as critical to realizing his ceilin will be won through balanced, adaptable quarterback play anchored by maturity and versatility.

3. 40-Time: Assessing Athleticism (Speculative)

While no official 40-yard dash time is available for Salter, his collegiate rushing production provides strong proxy evidence of his athleticism:

2023 rushing résumé:
- 1,089 yards on 163 carries – averaging 6.68 yards per carry.
- Scored 12 rushing touchdowns in 14 games.
2024 season:
- Added 587 yards and 7 rushing TDs

These numbers reveal explosive burst, gear-shifting speed, and power seldom seen in traditional pocket passers. While a 40-time is speculative, one could reasonably infer a time in the 4.6–4.7 sec range, putting Salter in solid territory for a dual-threat QB.

4. Stats: A Deep Dive

College Career Totals (Liberty, 2021–2024)

Statistic	Total
Passing Yards	5,887
Passing Touchdowns	56
Interceptions	17
Rushing Yards	2,013
Rushing Touchdowns	21

2023 (Standout Season at Liberty)

Passing: 2,876 yards, 32 TDs, 6 INTs — 61% completion rate.
Rushing: 1,089 yards, 12 TDs — averaging 6.68 yards/carry.
National rankings:
- #3 in QB rushing TDs (12)
- #3 in passing efficiency (176.6)
- #3 in passing yards per completion (16.25)
- #3 in points responsible for (264)
- #5 in passing touchdowns.
Single-game high: 484 total offense yards in Conference USA title game vs NMSU Wikipedia.