Colorado is expected to start Ryan Staub at quarterback for Friday night's game at Houston, sources tell ESPN.
Staub, the third-string quarterback for the Buffaloes before last week's game against Delaware, entered the game late in the second quarter against the Mud Hens and shined, completing 7 of 10 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns in the 31-7 victory.
Staub was spotted working with the Buffaloes' first-team offense in practice Monday, and the staff has made it clear that Staub will start this week over veteran transfer Kaidon Salter and highly regarded freshman Julian Lewis, who both played against Delaware.
Staub, a redshirt sophomore from Stevenson, CA, looked right at home when his number was called late in the second quarter, engineering a 75-yard touchdown drive inside of the final minute of the half, capping it with a 21-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Dekalon Taylor to give the Buffaloes a 17-7 lead at the break.
He then hit Sincere Brown for a 71-yard scoring connection moments into the second half to make it 24-7 and remained in the game for the remainder of the third quarter.
Salter, a transfer from Liberty, started the game and led Colorado to a 10-0 lead before coach Deion Sanders gave Lewis, the No. 12 overall recruit in the 2025 ESPN 300, a chance to play his two drives in the second quarter. After both drives ended in punts and Delaware cut the deficit to 10-7, Staub took over.
Salter reentered the game in the fourth quarter for two drives, both of which ended in punts, and finished with 127 total yards of offense. Lewis went in for victory formation on Colorado's final drive.
"To be honest, this whole week, I wasn't really expecting to play," Staub said after the Delaware game. "Friday, I kinda got the call and, OK, I might be playing. I was just waiting on an opportunity. Didn't know it would be a two-minute drill, and kind of the rest is history."
"I know exactly how I'm going to handle the quarterback situation," Sanders said when asked after the game who would be Colorado's starter going forward. "I'm not going to say it, but yeah, I'm not lost for direction."
Staub, who started one game for the Buffaloes in 2023, said he never considered transferring during his two years backing up Shedeur Sanders or when the Buffaloes brought in Lewis and Salter this offseason. He said he fell in love with the process and the program and preferred to put his head down and keep working until he got a chance.
"It's kind of crazy," Staub said. "I mean, yeah, there's been a lot of days of a lot of work and some self-doubt and, you know, kind of my own battles. It's crazy to be rewarded this way. It doesn't really feel real. But I'm also looking forward to next week."
"He's just been waiting for his opportunity," Sanders added. "Never jumped in the portal, he had every right to think that way. But he's just been a great human being and a great young man, like a leader amongst that room. All he needed was the opportunity, and I thought it was time."
ESPN's Max Olson contributed to this report.
