Deion Sanders, Colorado Reportedly Lose QB Ryan Staub to CFB Transfer Portal

Deion Sanders and Colorado reportedly have lost a quarterback to the transfer portal.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Ryan Staub plans to enter the portal with two years of eligibility remaining. According to Thamel, Staub is hoping to find a landing spot where he can compete for a starting role.

Staub was a 3-star prospect coming out of high school and was considered to be the No. 36 quarterback in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He held offers from SMU, Arizona, Fresno State and more before committing to Sanders and the Buffaloes.

Staub didn't see much action in his first two seasons while playing behind star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, and he found himself taking a backseat to Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis this year. He started a pair of games for Colorado this season but wasn't able to earn the QB1 job consistently.

In three seasons with the Buffs, Staub completed 53.5 percent of his passes for 681 yards and collected five total touchdowns. He also threw four interceptions. He'll now head to a new program and try to earn a starting job.

With Staub on his way out and Salter out of eligibility, the stage is set for Lewis to take over as Colorado's starter next season.

Lewis, the consensus No. 6 quarterback in the class of 2025, struggled when on the field in 2025. He appeared in four games, completing 55.3 percent of his passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns.

The Buffaloes also have Dominiq Ponder and Colton Allen on the roster, but Lewis will presumably be the leader for the starting role heading into the spring.