MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kaidon Salter always expected to be Colorado’s starting quarterback at the beginning and end of the 2025 season. He just didn’t expect everything in between to happen the way it did.

“It was difficult football-wise, but just off-the-field wise, I’ve got a very supportive family that really loves me, so that made it way easier and kept a lot of stress off me,” Salter said on Saturday in what was the final game of his college football career.

Salter’s opportunity to start in the Buffaloes’ season finale — a 24-14 loss to Kansas State — was one that he may not have been expecting a few weeks ago when he was benched for a second time this season, this time in favor of freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis. But Deion Sanders opted to sit Lewis on Saturday and preserve the young quarterback’s redshirt, elevating Salter back to the role he had to start the year.

The Liberty transfer’s only season with the Buffs ended the same way it began, with an up-and-down performance that was just a few plays short of what was required to win.

“It could also be my last game ever playing football again, so just being able to get the opportunity was amazing,” Salter said.

That’s why, Salter said, he didn’t have too many emotions walking off the field for what could’ve been the final time. He knew this day would come, and he’s ready for whatever comes next.

“Football is going to end one day and you just gotta always have that plan for life after football. I’ve got a very supportive family and a great circle around me to where we’ve already been building that,” Salter said. “I made a few NIL bucks for me to keep around for me to start things up and just invest. I feel like my life after football plan is set and I’m just ready to go, whether it’s continuing and playing (at) the next level or if I gotta come out and be that grown man and that regular person.”

Jeremiah Brown confident Coach Prime can turn things around

A five-year journey for Coach Prime and senior linebacker Jeremiah Brown came to an end Saturday. 

Brown is the only player who has been with Sanders for all five seasons of his college coaching career. While his time at CU ended on a sour note, he’s not worried about what’s to come for the program down the line.

“Honestly, they’ll bring the right guys in that want to win,” Brown said. “Like he said, ‘Are you a dog or are you a cat?’ The dogs want to come here and he’s gonna bring those guys in with the right mentality. He dealt with a lot this offseason, so he wasn’t able to be as thorough as he usually was with us, and he told us about that. He knows this offseason, the guys that he brings in are gonna (have) that mentality that he wants.”

In Brown’s eyes, the only thing that’s changed from last year’s Buffs team to this year’s is the players on the field.

“To me, (Coach Prime) hasn’t changed,” Brown said. “I say he’s the most consistent human I’ve ever been around.”

Sanders doesn’t confirm Faulk’s departure

Colorado appears set to be searching for a new running backs coach, but Sanders wasn’t about to jump the gun with an announcement.

Multiple reports indicate Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk will leave the Buffs to become the head coach at Southern University, and that leaves a big vacancy on a staff bound to see plenty of changes this offseason.

“You gotta talk to Marshall about that one,” Coach Prime said. “I don’t want to do that to him. Let him present that to you. That’s my boy. I think everybody knows I love him to life. I don’t think he would’ve came here without our relationship, so I love him to life. If (him leaving is) the case, I’m gonna do every darn thing to make sure he’s successful. Everything.”