Colorado, Oklahoma add quarterbacks from transfer portal

The Colorado Buffaloes have landed former Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter out of the transfer portal to possibly step in and replace Shedeur Sanders next season. Salter figures to compete with five-star high school recruit Julian “JuJu” Lewis for the starting job. Lewis is expected to join the Buffaloes in the spring semester. A dual threat, Salter is coming off a regular season for the Flames in which he ran for 579 yards and seven TDs while throwing for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns. Oklahoma has added quarterback John Mateer from Washington State.

The Colorado Buffaloes have landed ex-Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter out of the transfer portal to possibly step in and replace Shedeur Sanders next season.

Salter figures to compete with five-star high school recruit Julian “JuJu” Lewis for the starting job. Lewis is expected to join the 20th-ranked Buffaloes (9-3) in the spring semester.

A dual threat, Salter is coming off a regular season for the Flames in which he ran for 579 yards and seven TDs while throwing for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns. His total yards per game (224.09 yards) was fourth-most in Conference USA.

Salter led Liberty to an 8-3 mark this season. His former team will play in the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4 against Buffalo.

Colorado offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur recently spoke of the need to bring in a player such as Salter as Lewis develops. Shurmur called Lewis a “great decision maker.”

“He has a real sense of timing. He’s a very accurate passer,” Shurmur added of Lewis, a star at Carrollton High School in Georgia. “He has a heroic nature. He has all those things you’re looking for. … If he does the things that he’s done in high school and continues to improve at this level, then he will have a bright future.”

There are big shoes to fill at quarterback once Sanders wraps up his career following the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 against BYU. Sanders broke many school records, including the single-season yards passing mark (3,926) and for passing TDs (35). The Johnny Unitas Golden Arm recipient has a TD throw in 48 straight games, dating to his days at Jackson State.

Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer has announced that he is heading to Oklahoma.

The move comes two weeks after Oklahoma announced it hired ex-Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle for the same position with the Sooners.

Mateer posted a photo of Oklahoma’s Memorial Stadium with the words “Praise God!!” and “#BoomerSooner” on social media Wednesday night. He passed for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with seven interceptions and ran for 826 yards and 15 scores for the Cougars this season. The Cougars went 8-4 and averaged 36.8 points.

Mateer is in line to replace Jackson Arnold, who has transferred to Auburn.

In another transfer portal move, Tennessee picked up former Arizona offensive lineman Wendell Moe Jr.