Full Breakdown
Sanders Looks to Re-energize Colorado Football Around Freshman Quarterback Julian Lewis
7/10/2026, 12:34:56 PM
Core Development: New Starter, New Scheme
Colorado head coach Deion Sanders announced that 18-year-old Julian Lewis will assume the full-time quarterback role for the Buffaloes. The move follows a 3-9 season after the departures of Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders, a year in which Colorado cycled through three signal-callers. Lewis, who re-classified into the 2025 recruiting class and flipped his commitment from USC during his senior high-school season, will operate under new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and his “GoGo” offense, which relies on shifts, unconventional formations, and multiple backs to create mismatches. Protecting Lewis is a priority; Colorado has ranked among the nation’s most-sacked teams in each of Sanders’ first three years, and the coach says nine offensive linemen can start.
Background & Context
Sanders returned to coaching after a bout with bladder cancer that sidelined him for months last offseason. He described feeling “not you in thought process and thinking and the quickness,” acknowledging the personal impact of his illness on his leadership. The 2024 roster lost the “once-in-a-lifetime cats” Hunter and Shedeur, prompting a shift away from relying on a single star quarterback to a system that distributes responsibility.
Official Statements & Coaching Strategy
Sanders emphasized that his expectation is not for Lewis to be a vocal locker-room leader but to execute the plays the staff designs. He noted that an 18-year-old should not be tasked with “standing up in front of the team and hoo-rah” and that the quarterback’s job is simply to “make the plays that should be made.” Sanders also highlighted senior receiver Danny Scudero—a former San Jose State standout with nearly 1,300 receiving yards last season—as a “security blanket” who can provide leadership and consistency while Lewis develops.
Verbatim Quotes
- “You don't have your it, you don't have that thing about you,” — Deion Sanders, head coach
- “He's 18, and we're asking an 18-year-old kid to lead a locker room full of men; that's not fair to him.” — Deion Sanders
- “What hasn't he brought should be the question. He brings his lunchpail to work every day. He has not missed one practice. Leader, dog killer, great young man, professional. I called Julian Edelman and say, 'Look, man, this kid loves you. He is you to me. He has that same tenacity that Jules has, and I hate comps, but I had to call him myself and say, 'Look, man, I want you to talk to this kid, because he's from, you know, where you're from in California.'” — Deion Sanders (on Danny Scudero)
- “He's making plays, he's working his butt off, and then the whole team says, 'Oh my god, first in gassers, he's first in this, he's first in that, he's gonna take no days off, no plays off, that's just who he is.” — Deion Sanders
Why It Matters
If Lewis can stay protected and thrive alongside Scudero and transfer DeAndre Moore Jr., Colorado hopes to regain the offensive identity that made it a Big 12 championship contender in 2024, reversing a trend of high sack rates and inconsistent quarterback play.
