Colorado Football Faces New Era Without Shedeur Sanders

Boulder, Colorado – As the 2025 college football season approaches, Colorado football finds itself adjusting to life without star quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award announced its watch list for 2025, and notably absent are any quarterbacks from Colorado.

This week, the award recognized 58 quarterbacks from various programs across the country, but none from Colorado. Last season, Sanders led the Buffaloes with remarkable statistics, finishing with 353 completions out of 477 attempts for 4,134 yards and 37 touchdowns. He was instrumental in guiding Colorado to a 9-4 record and a spot in the final Associated Press Poll.

Sanders’ absence is felt deeply within the program, as he not only brought his skills and talent to the field but also drew national attention to Colorado football. He was the first Colorado quarterback to win the Unitas Award, an honor recognizing excellence on and off the field.

This season’s watch list includes well-known names like Drew Allar from Penn State, Arch Manning from Texas, and Carson Beck from Miami. Colorado State‘s Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi made the list, further highlighting Colorado’s lack of representation.

Replacing a quarterback of Sanders’ caliber is a daunting task. Though transfer Kaidon Salter joined the team from Liberty, he hadn’t played a down for Colorado by mid-August, making it hard to generate preseason buzz. Freshman Julian Lewis was not eligible for the watch list due to the focus on upperclassmen.

Backup quarterback Ryan Staub, a redshirt sophomore, is another candidate. He started one game last year but faced limited opportunities, going 0-for-4 passing in 2024. The Johnny Unitas Award prioritizes proven performance, making it challenging for him to gain recognition.

With the start of the season on August 29 against Georgia Tech, head coach Deion Sanders must now focus on developing new talent. Fans will be eager to see how the Buffaloes transition into this new era and whether any quarterback can fill the void left by their Golden Arm winner.