Insight from the Trenches: Arden Walker on Colorado’s Quarterback Competition

Dante Williams / Ejsports

As the Colorado Buffaloes prepare for the upcoming football season, a major storyline developing out of spring practice is the competition for the starting quarterback position. Defensive lineman Arden Walker, a Missouri transfer and one of Colorado’s top defenders, recently provided key insight into the ongoing battle between early enrollee first-year student Julian “JuJu” Lewis and Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter. According to Walker, both quarterbacks have shown strong potential as they vie for the starting role under head coach Deion Sanders. Walker, who joined Colorado before the 2023 season, has had a front-row seat to observe the strengths and styles of both quarterbacks throughout spring camp. Speaking to reporters following a spring practice session,

Walker remarked on the talent both players bring to the field:

“They’re both battling it out... Obviously, Kaidon has been in the game, and then you’ve got a first-year student in Julian. I think he’s been coming along as well. I think both will be excellent”.

Kaidon Salter brings a wealth of collegiate experience to Boulder. A former Tennessee commit who later transferred to Liberty, Salter compiled an impressive resume with the Flames, throwing for 5,887 yards and 56 touchdowns while adding 2,063 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground. His standout 2022 season helped lead Liberty to an undefeated regular season and a Conference USA championship. Salter has made an immediate impression on the Buffaloes, most notably with a sharp touchdown pass to Tulsa transfer Joseph Williams during a recent practice. Despite Salter’s edge in experience, Julian “JuJu” Lewis has arrived in Colorado with considerable hype. The two-time Gatorade Georgia Football Player of the Year and former five-star recruit has embraced the competition and is focusing on development. “To grow and get stronger, learn the offense,” Lewis said of his spring goals. “Everybody thinks it is a quarterback battle... but we have such great quarterbacks in the room and such great personalities”. While much of the attention is on Salter and Lewis, returning quarterback Ryan Staub—who has been with the program for three years and backed up Shedeur Sanders—provides added depth and veteran leadership. The coaching staff appears to have solid options at the most crucial position on the field. Salter, aware that this may be his only spring with the program, has emphasized leadership as much as performance.

“I want to come in and execute the plays that I know and understand,” he stated, “be a better teammate to my teammates, helping out some of the younger guys... putting them in the right position”.

Ultimately, the Buffaloes are in a favorable position. Whether they prioritize Salter’s immediate impact or Lewis’s long-term upside, Colorado’s quarterback room has the talent to make waves in the upcoming Big 12 season.