Ryan Staub praises Tennessee coaching while reflecting on growth after Colorado transfer

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Ryan Staub praises Tennessee coaching while reflecting on growth after Colorado transfer

Ryan Staub praises Tennessee coaching while reflecting on growth after Colorado transfer originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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New Tennessee quarterback Ryan Staub wasn’t taking a shot at Deion Sanders. He was talking about growth.

After transferring from Colorado Buffaloes football to Tennessee Volunteers football, Staub was asked about the differences between the two programs. His answer was measured, thoughtful, and consistent with his personality. It centered on one thing and that’s an appreciation for coaching.

“In my three years of playing college football, I haven’t had as much coaching as I’ve had in the first month that I’ve been here,” Staub said.

That line quickly made the rounds online. But the full context tells a different story than the reaction.

Staub didn’t criticize Colorado. In fact, he went out of his way to make that clear “Colorado is obviously a great place. I have amazing memories there,” he said.

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That framing mattered. Even as Staub pointed out differences, the respect for his time in Boulder was clear.

Instead, what stood out to him at Tennessee was the level of detail.

“Every rep, they’re talking about my feet, my base, my mechanics,” Staub said. “It’s a lot of special coaching.”

For a quarterback entering his fourth year of college football, that kind of attention isn’t a complaint about the past, it’s him making the most of his time in college football.

Although, if Staub felt slighted at all in Colorado, it would be understandable.

He was loyal and he showed flashes.

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In relief against Delaware, Staub was efficient and in control, completing 7 of 10 passes for 158 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-7 win. It was the kind of performance that suggested he could handle more.

A week later, on the road against Houston, the results were far less impressive. Ryan completed 19 of 35 passes for 204 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in a loss.

Not great. But not the kind of performance that usually ends an opportunity that quickly.

Still, the opportunity didn’t come back around in a meaningful way.

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That quick swing, from folk hero with promise to limited chances was rather abrupt. It offers at least some context to why a quarterback entering Year 4 would value consistency, structure, and detailed coaching as much he clearly does now at Tennessee.

It also doesn’t contradict what he said about Deion Sanders. If anything, it reinforces it.

Staub described Tennessee’s offense as more demanding on the quarterback, with more responsibility at the line of scrimmage and within the system.

“They’re throwing everything at you, but it’s for a reason,” he said. “You can see why it has so much success.”

That perspective aligns with a player trying to elevate his game, not rewrite his history.

And when it came to Sanders, Staub was clear.

“Coach Prime’s awesome… I’ll always remember the memories I had with him,” he said.

That doesn’t sound like someone taking shots. It sounds like someone who benefited from one stop and is embracing the next.

Now in Knoxville, Staub is competing for the starting job in a very crowded quarterback room. His early takeaway isn’t about what was missing before. It’s about what he’s gaining now.

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