Corner Canyon High School product Isaac Wilson will start at quarterback for Colorado against his former team Saturday, Oct. 17, when the Buffaloes host No. 11 Utah at Folsom Field in Boulder.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders confirmed Wilson's start at his Tuesday, Oct. 13, press conference, first reported by the Deseret News. Sanders called Utah "probably the toughest team we're going to face this season" and singled out the Draper native's resilience.

"Isaac is just tough. His demeanor is … Isaac throw a few picks, he's still going," Sanders said. "He's not getting down on himself. He's a fighter."

Wilson played for coach Eric Kjar at Corner Canyon before choosing Utah over BYU as a four-star recruit in May 2023. He appeared in 10 games for the Utes and made seven starts as a true freshman in 2024. Wilson entered the transfer portal in December 2025 and signed with Colorado in January 2026.

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis was benched during Colorado's Sept. 26 loss to Baylor, opening the door for Wilson. In his first full start, a 29-7 loss to Texas Tech, Wilson threw for 290 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 42 yards but threw three interceptions, including a pick-six.

Sanders joked about Wilson facing Utah's defense. He told Wilson to "make sure you throw the ball to the guys on our team," adding that their relationship allows that kind of ribbing.

Utah is 5-0 for the first time since 2015 and is the only FBS team to win every game this season by at least 14 points, according to ABC4. The Utes average 42.8 points per game while allowing 13.0. Colorado is 2-3 after losing three straight.

Utah head coach Morgan Scalley, in his first year replacing Kyle Whittingham, drew high praise from Sanders. Sanders called Scalley "a tremendous head coach" who "hadn't missed a beat" replacing a legend. Scalley acknowledged Wilson's talent, saying the former Ute is smart and has arm talent on outside throws but added that "at the end of the day I still think it's a team game."

Sanders outlined a run-first game plan, targeting 17 to 24 pass attempts. Colorado rushed for at least 180 yards in each of its first three games but managed only 83 and 78 yards against Baylor and Texas Tech. Utah ranks No. 9 nationally in rushing defense.

Wilson's older brother, former BYU and NFL quarterback Zach Wilson, told the Deseret News on July 26 that his advice when Isaac entered the portal was to "get to a place where you can play right away."

Kickoff Saturday is 8:15 p.m. MDT on ESPN.