Deion Sanders and Colorado lost quarterback Ryan Staub to the transfer portal this offseason. Staub transferred to Tennessee to play for Josh Heupel’s squad in the 2026 season, but he remains respectful toward Sanders.
What Ryan Staub Said About Deion Sanders in First Tennessee Interview
Staub addressed reporters this week and explained why Tennessee felt like the right fit for him after spending three seasons under Sanders at Colorado.
“For me, the biggest thing was just this culture, being in the SEC and these coaches,” Staub said. “The coaches were the big recruiting point for me. Just the level of detail in this offense was kind of the big shining light for me. I think just all the work I’ve put in the past three great years at Colorado, I’ve just learned a lot. I’ve learned every step of the way. And I actually feel like I’ve learned the most this year so far.
“It was awesome. Coach Prime, I’ll always remember all the memories I had with him and with his program. Just an unbelievable person. He impacted a lot of people on that Colorado team, made good connections with a lot of those players, and especially with me. Coach Prime, awesome.”
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Staub originally signed with Colorado out of high school as part of the 2023 recruiting class, but his time on the field was limited, as he served as the backup to Shedeur Sanders in both 2023 and 2024.
After Shedeur departed for the NFL, Staub entered the 2025 season as the backup to Kaidon Salter, who ended the year ranked No. 80 nationally in the PFSN College Football QB Impact Metric with a score of 78.
Salter’s struggles created an opportunity for Staub, who made one start before Colorado ultimately returned to Salter. Sanders later made another change at quarterback, turning to former five-star prospect and true freshman Julian Lewis.
Staub appeared in 12 games for Colorado from 2023 to 2025, completing 53 of 98 pass attempts for 681 yards, along with four touchdowns and four interceptions. Now at Tennessee, he has been enjoying spring practice and has already impressed offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle.
“Ryan’s a guy that, if you looked at the plays that he made, he did a really good job at extending plays,” Halzle said. “He does a good job improving. Like we talked about with Faizon (Brandon) and George (MacIntyre), as far as anticipating, that guy throws windows at a really high level. He shops windows, he feels timing, he understands all that, so he has a really good feel for the game.”
Tennessee’s quarterback competition is expected to be highly competitive, which will give Staub a legitimate opportunity to earn consideration throughout spring practices and into fall camp.
