Georgia Tech Is Preparing To See Both Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis On Friday Night

When Georgia Tech faces Colorado on Friday night, they are preparing to see two quarterbacks in the game

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) hands the ball off to running back Titus Bautista (34) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Game week is officially here for Georgia Tech, and they open their season with one of the biggest games in week one. The Yellow Jackets will face Colorado on the road, and they will be looking to start their season 1-0, but it won't be easy. Colorado is coming off a nine-win season and returns talented players on both sides of the ball, particularly along the lines of scrimmage. The Buffaloes are hoping to have another strong season under head coach Deion Sanders.

Who will be the Colorado QB?

Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) and defensive end Arden Walker (53) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

While who starts for Colorado is an important question, will Georgia Tech just see one quarterback, or will they see both Kaidon Salter and Julian Lewis in this game? I lean towards the latter, and in his press conference yesterday, Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key said that Georgia Tech is preparing to face both quarterbacks:

"Again, first game of the season. You're always preparing for the unknowns. It goes back to what we do and what we do best, and becoming really good at that because there's times in a game where they could come out different offense, a different defense, a different structure, whatever. We got to have our base calls and whether it's two calls, three calls, that we know we can adjust, you know, first play of the game, if a helmet comes off, and the next, another quarterback comes in, you know, that could happen any game. So they're both really good players, both very talented players.

And I know, Kaidon had the, I think it's almost 7 ,000 career yards at Liberty. And we're very familiar with Juju, being a local guy, played for Joey King out at Carrollton, and he's been really on the scene around here for a lot of years. They're both really, really talented quarterbacks. When you go into a game like this, you expect both of them to be out there and playing. But at the end of the day, you gotta be able to line up and stop the run and defend the explosives and be able to get pressure and get to handle the football."

It will be interesting to see how Georgia Tech's defenses will adapt to facing two quarterbacks, if that is indeed what happens.

Both quarterbacks bring a different dynamic

Liberty quarterback Kaidon Salter (7) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown as Middle Tennessee cornerback Tyrell Raby (29) tries to stop him and Liberty wide receiver Elijah Canion (5) looks on during the Salute to Veterans & Armed Forces game at MTSU on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. | HELEN COMER/The Daily News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The interesting thing about both of Colorado's quarterbacks is that they both bring a different dynamic to the table. Salter is more a dual-threat quarterback, while Lewis does his best work in the pocket.

Our own Najeh Wilkins recently broke down both quarterbacks and what Georgia Tech can expect to see on Friday night:

"Salter is a true dual-threat QB that can burn you with his legs. His athleticism is often slept on, but last year he rushed for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns. Expect Colorado to run a lot of the RPO (Run-Pass-Option) game when Salter is in the game. He has a knack for taking advantage of the defensive end and making him choose between him and the running back, which he exploits with ease. Salter threw for 1,886 passing yards and 15 touchdowns. An area he struggled with was his accuracy, only completing 56.3% of his passes. He struggles a bit in the intermediate aspect of his game, but he is an impressive deep-ball thrower.

With Lewis, you are getting an extremely accurate quarterback who can fit the ball anywhere he wants. Lewis filled the stat sheet during his high school career and improved every season under the helm. He improved his completion percentage every year and during his senior year, completing 75.6% of his passes. Lewis also threw for 48 touchdowns every season as a starter in his three seasons with the Carrollton Trojans. While he will be a freshman, Lewis is no stranger to being in the limelight or on the big stage. His first-ever high school game was televised on statewide television, and he cooked the East Coweta defense, winning the highly anticipated contest. He also played in two state championships during his three years, and one as a true freshman against Mill Creek, going against elite college football player Caleb Downs. What truly makes Julian special is his ability to improvise. He’s not going to wow you with Lamar Jackson-like moves in the open field, but his knack to make defenders miss in the pocket, buy time, and ability to throw rainbows down the field off the run make him elite. He did it during his high school career, and it should translate to college. Lewis can truly beat you from the pocket and never gets rattled under pressure. He can run the RPO game, but can also stand and throw the ball over 50 times in the game."

Georgia Tech will face Colorado on Friday night at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.