Sports

Colorado QB Stiffs Deion Sanders After Being Forgotten Following Awful Season

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iStockphoto / Isaiah J. Downing / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images


QB Kaidon Salter was not selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. The Colorado passer will, however, have an opportunity to pursue a pro career as an undrafted free agent.

He gave thanks to a previous coach for making it all possible. That mentor was not Deion Sanders.

Instead, he mentioned Hugh Freeze in a message of gratitude over the NFL Draft weekend. Was it intentional? The timing provided poor optics.

Who is Kaidon Salter?

The signal caller was Colorado’s starting passer in the 2025 season. Boulder represented his third stop at the college level.

Salter initially signed with Tennessee as a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class. He was dismissed after a few months in Knoxville following an arrest.

He quickly got a second chance at Division I football at Liberty, then led by Coach Freeze. With the Flames, he became a star.

Salter appeared in two games as a true freshman before earning a starting role in Year 2. Over the next three seasons, he’d pile up 5,850 yards passing, nearly 2,000 more rushing, and 89 touchdowns.

His breakout season came as a redshirt sophomore, which was actually the year Freeze left for Auburn. That season, Salter totaled 2,800 yards through the air and 1,000 on the ground to become a legitimate D1 prospect.

One year later, he entered the transfer portal. Deion Sanders selected him as the heir apparent to his son, Shedeur. It didn’t work out.

The Buffs struggled.

Salter’s play dropped off significantly. He threw a career-high seven interceptions in nine games. His rushing totals dipped as a result of being sacked 19 times. He was eventually benched.

Colorado went 3-9. Salter entered the NFL Draft following his worst season. He, like every other eligible player from the team, was not selected.

Despite the snub, he gave thanks on social media. There was no mention of Coach Prime.

Freeze did give Kaidon Salter an opportunity after being booted from Tennessee. He also left after just two seasons.

Sanders, meanwhile, gave the quarterback a chance to showcase his talents on the Power 4 stage. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t work out.

Was Salter’s omission intentional? And if so, why?

Former teammate Ryan Staub inadvertently shaded the Colorado coaching staff’s ability to develop after transferring to Tennessee in the offseason. Salter might agree given his decline in production.

Most, however, believe there was another reason for taking the supposed shot.

Deion Sanders praised Diego Pavia.

Like Kaidon Salter, Pavia went undrafted. Sanders made note of his omission on social media while offering words of encouragement.

He did not do the same for the quarterback that actually led the Buffs on the football field this past season.

There was no post of positivity referencing Salter, only praise of Buffs that immediately signed as undrafted free agents. The quarterback’s tweet referencing Hugh Freeze was written eight minutes after Sanders’ praise of Pavia.

To this point, Salter has not secured an NFL contract. He has, however, been extended a rookie minicamp invitation by the Titans.

If he is able to land a pro gig, he believes he has Freeze, not Sanders, to thank.