Updated March 19, 2026, 8:22 p.m. MT
Colorado football lost nearly an entire roster to the transfer portal this season, including several spots in the quarterback room.
Ryan Staub was Shedeur Sanders’ backup for two seasons before competing with Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis for the starting role last offseason. Staub started a game and showed flashes, but he was relegated to backup duties for most of the season.
Now with Tennessee, Staub is once again competing for the starting job. He spoke to the media earlier this week about the differences between his one month in Knoxville and three years in Boulder.
“Three years of college football, I haven’t had as much coaching as the month that I’ve been here,” Staub admitted.
The quote is, unfortunately, a glaring indictment of the program Sanders has built and is quite possibly a major reason Sanders opted for a staff overhaul this offseason. Development has been nearly nonexistent since Sanders took over, with him opting to replenish the roster with transfer portal players rather than develop freshmen.
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Brennan Marion was brought in as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach to change the narrative surrounding the Colorado coaching staff. The theme is clearly more college-experienced coaches with a focus on development. Whether it changes the program’s trajectory remains to be seen, but Staub shed significant light on what went wrong during the 2025 2-9 season.
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