College football has changed a lot in recent years, especially with the transfer portal giving players more freedom to move between schools. While some people don’t like this new system, Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter has stepped up to defend it, using his own story to show why the portal matters for players looking for better opportunities.
Kaidon Salter Backs Transfer Portal Decisions After Colorado Spring Game
After Colorado’s spring game on April 20, 2025, Salter spoke up about the transfer portal debate. He pushed back against those who criticize players for switching schools.
“In today’s world, you can do as best as you can to just stay a brotherhood but at the same time, people got their own goals and achievements that they want to handle in life. I feel like you can’t down nobody for entering the portal, whether it’s for the money or going to go start, or whatever the case is. Everybody has their own reasons for doing so,” Salter said.
He also talked about how teams need to adapt when players leave: “You can stay as tight as you can until you can’t. You got to control what you can control. But one guy leaves, next man up. So we just do our best to try to recruit the next player.”
Salter knows what he’s talking about from his own life. He started as a four-star recruit at Tennessee but got kicked off the team because of problems off the field. The transfer portal gave him another chance at Liberty, where he turned things around, racking up 5,887 passing yards, 2,063 rushing yards, and 77 touchdowns in four seasons. In 2023, he had an amazing year with 2,876 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and just six interceptions while helping Liberty go undefeated in the regular season and win their conference.
Competition and New Beginnings at Colorado
Salter moved to Colorado in December 2024, joining a team that already has talented freshman quarterback Julian Lewis. The Buffaloes needed someone to replace Shedeur Sanders, who’s expected to be a top pick in the NFL draft.
There’s going to be tough competition for the starting job, but Salter is ready for it. He said: “[Lewis] is a playmaker, one of the best quarterbacks in his class. So just being able to compete and go out there and do what we have to do to help each other, build each other up. It’s all love over there, and it’ll be a great competition between us. There were no promises, all competition.”
Colorado’s head coach Deion Sanders isn’t rushing to name a starter yet. After the spring game, he explained: “Ain’t nobody care about that, because I may change my mind tomorrow. So what benefits us to name a guy the? What does that do for us as a team? Nothing. … Matter of fact, I don’t even know who’s going to be that guy right now, anyway, so I don’t have the propensity to do it, because I don’t know. They gotta perform with consistency.”
Under Coach Sanders, Colorado has used the transfer portal a lot, bringing in 17 new transfers after losing 18 starters from last season. This is becoming normal in college football now, where the portal helps teams rebuild quickly.
KEEP READING: Deion Sanders Makes Powerful Plea to Transfer Portal Stars At Colorado Spring Game As He Reels From Virginia-Led Ambush
Salter’s journey from trouble at Tennessee to success at Liberty and now a fresh start at Colorado shows why he believes every player deserves the chance to find their best path without being judged for it.
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