WHY JULIAN “JUJU” LEWIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COLORADO FOOTBALL RECRUIT IN 25+ YEARS

[Editor’s note: This is a series of Hello! posts breaking down Coloardo’s true freshman football players. For posts on each of the true freshman that committed to CU in 2025, see:

Quentin Gibson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-maxpreps-national-player-of-the-year-quentin-gibson-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Jay Gardenhire: https://buffsblog.com/hello-and-goodbye-jay-gardenhire-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Quanell “X” Farrakhan Jr. https://buffsblog.com/hello-quanell-farrakhan-jr-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Carde Smith: https://buffsblog.com/hello-carde-smith-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Zayne DeSouza: https://buffsblog.com/hello-zayne-desouza-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Mantrez Walker: https://buffsblog.com/hello-mantrez-walker-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Corbin Laisure: https://buffsblog.com/hello-corbin-laisure-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Chauncey Gooden: https://buffsblog.com/hello-chauncey-gooden-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Antonio “TJ” Branch: https://buffsblog.com/hello-tj-branch-jr-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Adrian Wilson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-adrian-wilson-welcome-to-the-black-and-gold/; Christian Hudson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-christian-hudson/; and Alexander McPherson: https://buffsblog.com/hello-alexander-mcpherson/]

This is a special one — and one we’ve been working on for some time.  Therefore, we’re going to break from our traditional style of Hello! welcome posts for Lewis.]

Hello, Julian “JuJu” Lewis! Welcome to the Black and Gold!

JuJu Lewis is the most heralded freshman quarterback to arrive in Boulder in the modern recruiting era.

Read that again.

The hype surrounding Lewis is off the charts, and for good reason. He isn’t just another talented recruit; he’s a five-star phenom who has been dominating headlines since middle school. 

Lewis graced the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 15 – the youngest football player ever to do so – hailed as “the next big thing” in a generation of NIL-fueled prodigies.

Before ever playing a college snap, JuJu had nearly 150,000 Instagram followers and was fielding million-dollar sponsorship offers (more on that later).  The Boulder Theater put his name on the marquee on a recruiting trip to Boulder. The iconic Boulder restaurant, The Sink, had a burger named in his honor before he even enrolled in school.

He rolled into campus with swagger – reportedly pulling up in a Lamborghini Urus SUV (sticker price around $275k) and sporting an iced-out Darth Vader chain courtesy of his newfound NIL fortune.

SI covers, hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, expensive cars, theater marquees and hamburger infamy — that’s a lot of flash.

It leads many, myself included, to ask a simple question — how can a 17 year old child (legally speaking) focus on football when there are so many potential distractions?

To answer this question, we’ll need to look deep into who is JuJu Lewis, really? How did a 17-year-old become a potential cornerstone of Colorado’s future, drawing comparisons to Heisman winners and NFL stars? Let’s dive in.

QB Development

Born in September 2007, Lewis grew up in the football hotbed of Carrollton, Georgia. His father, T.C. Lewis, played college football as an offensive lineman at UConn and helped train Lewis. Additionally, at age 8 (!), Lewis began training with noted QB guru Ron Veal, the same coach who helped develop Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields (among many others). Veal works for the QB Collective, a group of trainers and coaches (incluidng Mike and Kyle Shannahan, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, and Matt Lafleur) that provides pro-style development for high school quarterbacks. Lewis’ training was the equivalent of a child learning to read from JK Rowling, or a child taking choir lessons from Sam Cooke.

WHO WE ARE

Veal and Lewis would train tirelessly on an empty field by a church in Austell, Georgia. They would throw and throw and throw and throw, in humid Georgia summers, far away from any spotlight. Lewis has said that he “gets better alone,” reflecting on those countleess hours of quiet work without TV or cellphone cameras capturing the action.

Training with Veal was a safe space for Lewis. Lewis’ parents divorced, and at age 10 his mother moved out of state and largely out of his life, leaving T.C. to raise Julian and his siblings. As the only boy among four children, Julian formed a tight bond with his father, who became his primary mentor and coach. T.C. Lewis was determined to give his son every opportunity to maximize his potential. He moved Julian to the Carrollton City Schools system in middle school, specifically so JuJu could eventually compete at Carrollton High, a powerhouse in Georgia’s largest classification.

Lewis was named Georgia’s state player of the year for his age group every year from age 10 onward. (Yes, it’s ridiculous to have state player of the year for 10 year olds, but it’s Georgia!) In eighth grade at Carrollton Junior High, Lewis won a national middle school player of the year award. The talent was obvious, and colleges took notice absurdly early. In September of 2021, barely a week after his 14th birthday, Julian received his first scholarship offers from Florida and Penn State. By age 15, he held over 15 Division I offers and was regarded as the No. 1 overall prospect nationally in the class of 2026 – all before his freshman year of high school began.

High School Stardom in Georgia’s Toughest League

As a freshman at Carrollton High in 2022, JuJu Lewis wasted no time confirming the early hype. He won the starting quarterback job as a 14-year-old on a very good team in Class 7A (the state’s highest level). What followed was one of the most staggering freshman seasons in Georgia high school history. In 15 games, JuJu threw for 4,118 yards and 48 touchdowns (against just 12 interceptions), leading the previously unranked Carrollton Trojans to an undefeated 14-0 regular season and all the way to the 7A state championship game. Though Carrollton fell in the title game to Mill Creek High School, JuJu’s performance was legendary: he passed for 531 yards and 5 TDs in the championship – setting a Georgia state finals record for passing yards. Georgia’s Mr. Football Caleb Downs (the best player in college football in 2025) and Mill Creek might have earned the championship trophy, but JuJu’s unprecedented freshman output put him on a very short list of Georgia all-time prep phenoms.

The accolades poured in. Lewis was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year – essentially the top 9th-grade player in America. He made first-team all-state in Georgia’s largest class and even placed 12th in state history for single-season passing yards with that 4,118-yard tally. As Sports Illustrated later noted, it was arguably “the most staggering freshman season in Georgia’s robust high school football history.”

By the end of that 2022 season, college recruiters were in a frenzy. By February 2023 (the spring of his freshman year), 35 offers had rolled in, including bluebloods like Georgia, Ohio State, and USC. JuJu’s recruiting rankings soared – he was universally considered a top-2 or top-3 QB in the entire country regardless of class. Notably, he became the first sophomore ever to be named to the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s preseason all-star team, an honor typically reserved for upperclassmen. The hype machine was in full swing, and the NIL era only amplified it.

In August 2023, before his sophomore season, Lewis made a headline-grabbing early commitment: he verbally pledged to Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans. It was a stunning coup for USC – Riley is renowned for QB development, and nabbing a Georgia prodigy two years before signing day made waves nationally. Lewis’ decision to commit so early was partly to quiet the noise and focus on development. As Lewis and his father often repeated, the goal was to “keep the main thing the main thing.” 

But the spotlight didn’t dim. In September 2023, Sports Illustrated put Lewis on the cover of its Money/NIL issue with a feature titled “Julian Lewis Is Betting He’s the Next Big Thing.” The story highlighted Lewis’ peculiar situation: in many states, a player of JuJu’s stature could already cash in on endorsement deals as a high-schooler, but Georgia law prohibited NIL deals for high school athletes. Despite reportedly having seven-figure offers dangled in front of them, JuJu and his family turned them all down to keep him at Carrollton High. They decided not to transfer to an out-of-state academy or sit out to make money. Instead, Lewis continued to compete in Georgia’s Class 7A, trusting that the payoff would come later. “His father [T.C.] has essentially made a million-dollar wager that his son’s long-term prospects will be better for it,”  SI wrote of that decision. As T.C. Lewis explained, he wanted JuJu to be “forged” in the toughest high school competition, rather than chase early cash or an easier path.

On the field, JuJu’s sophomore campaign in 2023 proved his freshman explosion was no fluke. Facing heightened expectations and constant defensive gameplans to stop him, he put up 3,094 passing yards and another 48 touchdowns (with only 2 interceptions all year). Carrollton went 11-2, reaching the state quarterfinals, and Lewis was honored as the Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year – an award usually awarded to seniors. Lewis was also named MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year and he was firmly the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class across all major recruiting services. In fact, Rivals ranked him as the #1 overall player even after what came next: Lewis made the strategic decision to reclassify from 2026 to 2025.

In January 2024, partway through his junior year of high school, Lewis announced he would graduate a full year early and enter the 2025 recruiting class. This was a calculated move, enabled by his strong academics and the class credits he’d accumulated. Reclassifying meant he would forgo a senior high school season (and likely some more records), but it would allow him to start his college career sooner. Despite effectively skipping a year of development, he still retained elite status – for example, Rivals immediately ranked him the #1 player in the 2025 class upon reclassifying. Other services ranked him slightly lower among 2025 peers (some had him #2 or #3 QB in ’25), but all agreed he was a five-star talent. ESPN would later rank him the No. 2 overall recruit in 2025, behind only Michigan QB Bryce Underwood.

The reclassification set the stage for a dramatic recruiting battle in 2024. Lewis had been a USC commit since August 2023, but with signing day approaching in December 2024, rumors swirled that his commitment was softening. Lewis had taken visits to other schools, notably to Colorado and Georgia, over the summer and fall of 2024. Deion Sanders rolled out the red carpet for Lewis on his visit to Boulder (complete with Boulder Theater marquee and a trip to The Sink to eat his own Sink burger). Still, the Georgia visit (for a Georgia/Tennessee showdown) also loomed large, given that Athens was just an hour from his hometown. Even Indiana made a late push, surprisingly making JuJu’s shortlist due to a strong relationship he had with Curt Cignetti and their staff. Meanwhile, USC complicated the picture by taking a commitment from another five-star QB, Husan Longstreet, in November 2024. When USC grabbed Longstreet, many saw the writing on the wall: Lewis was likely to flip. Sure enough, on November 18, 2024, Lewis decommitted from USC. As ESPN reported, it was a “seismic development” in the recruiting world  – the Trojans lost a crown-jewel prospect, and suddenly Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes were seen as the favorite to land him.

Just three days later, on November 21, 2024, Lewis announced his commitment to Colorado live on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.” In front of a national audience, the 17-year-old affirmed he would play for Deion Sanders in Boulder. It was an unprecedented moment for Colorado football: landing a consensus five-star QB on one of the highest rated shows on ESPN. Sports Illustrated noted that Deion Sanders “stole [Lewis] away from quarterback guru Lincoln Riley and USC” and that the Buffs’ flashy, high-energy brand likely played a role. Lewis himself kept it humble in front of the cameras, uttering a simple four-word message –“I’m coming to Colorado” – as he donned a CU hat. The buzz among Buffs faithful was instantaneous.

In signing with CU, JuJu Lewis indeed made history for the program. He became the highest-rated high school quarterback prospect to ever sign with Colorado in the modern recruiting era. For context, Colorado’s recruiting classes in recent decades have rarely featured players in the national top-50, let alone a top-10 prospect. Lewis was ranked the No. 2 player in ESPN’s 2025 rankings and top 10 by every major service. Even though the 247Sports Composite dropped him just outside five-star range (No. 36 overall) due to the reclass, individual rankings told the real story: ESPN had him #2 overall; Rivals #6 overall; On3 consensus top-15.

More than just rankings, however, Lewis’ signing symbolized Deion Sanders’ growing pull on the recruiting trail. Here was a kid from the heart of SEC country, who had been courted by Georgia and groomed for USC, choosing a program that had won just a single game the year before Sanders arrived. Colorado was back.

After committing, JuJu did not waste any time transitioning to college. He officially signed with Colorado on December 4, 2024, the first day of the early signing period (promptly putting to rest any last-minute drama). He then enrolled at CU, arriving in Boulder on December 23, 2024. . Impressively, he even got a head start by practicing with the team during bowl prep in December: Colorado let him run the scout team in Alamo Bowl practices before he was even a full-time student. By January 2025, as an early enrollee, Lewis was already in quarterback meetings, going through winter conditioning, and gearing up for spring football as a true freshman at 17 years old.

The Skill Breakdown

JuJu Lewis is a battle-tested QB with uncommon poise, elite accuracy, and a cerebral approach to the game well beyond his years. BuffsBlog watched 6 separate Carrollton football games, two from each of Lewis’ 3 seasons as starting QB, to pull together this breakdown.

Decision-making is one of JuJu’s calling cards, and the numbers back it up. Lewis threw 12 interceptions as a freshman in 2022, but in the next two seasons combined he threw only 9 picks total. That’s an incredible improvement and speaks to continued improvement. By his sophomore and junior seasons, he was effectively a mistake-averse distributor who could carve defenses up by always finding the open man. His high school coaches entrusted him with full-field reads and option routes — Lewis continually changed players at the line of scrimmage. One evaluator noted that JuJu is “excellent at going through his progressions and being decisive in the passing game”, highlighting that he knows his first, second, and third options on every play and can get to his check-downs efficiently. This quick processing ability is something you’d expect from a college upperclassman, not a 17-year old fresh out of high school.

Along with sharp decisions, accuracy is a major strength in Lewis’ game. Over his entire HS career Lewis hovered around a 70% completion percentage, but in his final season he completed a ridiculous 75.6% of his passes. And remember, this isn’t dink-and-dunk stat padding – Carrollton’s offense loved to push the ball downfield. His films show consistent ball placement on deep posts, corners, and fades, as well as threading needles on intermediate routes. Lewis’ accuracy at all three levels forced defenses to cover every inch of the field. Importantly, his accuracy is tied to his decision-making: because Lewis usually finds the right target at the right time, he’s delivering the ball in rhythm and giving receivers a chance to make a play. One might say JuJu “throws receivers open” – he has a knack for anticipating routes and leading his targets away from defenders. Even on the rare occasions he misreads a coverage, he seldom completely misses the throw; as one comparison noted, if Lewis misfires, it’s more likely due to a misread than poor accuracy.

In terms of arm talent, Lewis will not wow you with velocity. He stands about 6’1” and 190 pounds (up from 6’0, 175 in high school – he’s been adding muscle in CU’s weight program). Because he’s not 6’4” and 220, he doesn’t rely on overpowering the ball; instead, he’s honed a quick, compact throwing motion that maximizes timing and anticipation. His release is often praised – it’s a short stroke that allows him to get the ball out rapidly, which compensates for not having an absolute cannon for an arm. Make no mistake, though — Lewis’ arm strength is sufficient to make any college throw; he can rip the deep out and has hit 50+ yard throws in games. But his style is more about “beat the defender with brains and timing, not brute force.” A scouting report from College Football Network put it well: “His arm isn’t strong enough to force throws, so he compensates by getting the ball out quickly… He plays an anticipation game.” He reminiscent of Bo Nix, Drew Brees and Bryce Young — winning with timing, accuracy, and savvy, placing the ball before the DB can react. Lewis can also change his arm angle as needed (a skill common among this generation of QBs who grew up watching Mahomes). He’s shown he can drop down to a sidearm sling to bypass a rusher and still throw accurately.

Another aspect Colorado is getting is an underrated athlete in the pocket. While JuJu is not a run-first quarterback (and you won’t confuse him with Kaidon Salter in the open field), he has solid mobility and pocket escapability. Think of him as an “extended play” creator rather than a designed-run weapon. He reportedly clocked around a 4.75 in the 40-yard dash last year, and his film shows he’s excellent at avoiding sacks – sliding within the pocket or rolling out to buy time. “His mobility is an underrated part of his game,” one analysis at College Football Network noted. “He’s not a true dual-threat… instead, he uses his athleticism to escape pressure and quickly reset his feet. He’s typically looking to throw when he escapes the pocket.” Eyes always downfield, using legs as a tool to enhance the pass. That said, Lewis can certainly tuck it and run for a first down when needed. In or near the red zone, he showed a knack for finding creases and scored several rushing TDs at Carrollton when plays broke down. Just don’t expect him to be the team’s leading rusher; his mindset is to deliver the ball to his playmakers. Colorado fans can recall how Shedeur Sanders used subtle pocket moves to elude rushers in 2023 – JuJu has a similar feel for sidestepping and extending plays while keeping composure.

Intangibles and leadership are harder to quantify, but by all accounts Lewis excels here as well. He was a team captain in high school. Despite being the superstar, he was known for deflecting credit to teammates. Case in point: during his junior season, when Carrollton was 8-0 and steamrolling opponents, Lewis took to Instagram to publicly praise his offensive linemen, calling them “my heroes” and agreeing with a post calling linemen the unsung heroes who sacrifice their bodies for the team. That kind of maturity – openly valuing the guys in the trenches – is catnip for BuffsBlog. It’s no wonder his Carrollton teammates rallied around a 15-year-old QB; he earned their respect through both his play and his demeanor. During Colorado’s spring practices, veteran players noted how prepared Lewis was from day one – he was often the first in meeting rooms and last off the practice field, and he wasn’t afraid to correct a senior on a route adjustment if it meant getting the play right.

Another often-overlooked element Lewis brings: he’s been through the media gauntlet and stayed poised. Not many freshman QBs in college have done live national TV, local press conferences, and even managed their own budding “brand” before age 18. Lewis has – and he’s navigated it smoothly. When he committed on the Pat McAfee Show, he handled that moment with calm confidence. When he arrived at Colorado, one of the first things he did was host a fan meet-and-greet and merch pop-up event in Denver, complete with signing autographs and taking pictures. At that event he wore his custom diamond pendant shaped like Darth Vader and drove off in a white Lambo Urus — embracing the NIL-era spotlight. While some old-school fans might raise an eyebrow at a teenager with such trappings, some may see it as a positive: Lewis understands the business side but doesn’t let it distract him from football. His father T.C. ensured early on that Julian separate “brand time” from “football time,” establishing boundaries so the pressure and attention wouldn’t overwhelm him. It seems to have worked – ask anyone in the Champions Center and they’ll say Lewis is first and foremost a gym rat and film junkie. Quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur (more on him soon) said that Lewis was “as locked in as any freshman I’ve been around” once meetings start; the bling comes off and the notebook comes out.

From a recruiting standpoint, Lewis is also a magnet for other talent. Elite players want to play with elite quarterbacks. The ripple effect of JuJu’s commitment has already been felt in recruiting. Within weeks of him coming on board, the Buffs got increased interest from top receivers and linemen in the 2025 class. It’s not hard to sell a stud wideout on Colorado when you can say, “Come catch passes from the nation’s top QB for the next few years.” Insiders have noted that numerous blue-chip receivers in the 2026 class, including Jase Matthews, Cederian Morgan and Jordan Clay, have explicitly mentioned JuJu Lewis as a reason Colorado shot up his list. In that sense, Lewis’ value transcends his own abilities; he’s a cornerstone around which Deion Sanders can build a nationally relevant program.

To sum it up, JuJu Lewis combines the on-field traits (accuracy, decision-making, pocket savvy) of a seasoned pro-style QB with the off-field mindset of a humble, team-first gym rat. It’s a rare combination. And while he doesn’t have the cannon arm or Lamar Jackson-style athleticism, few have the full field vision and refined instincts that Lewis possesses coming in the door. As one evaluator at College Football Network put it after studying his high school film: “He was already polished at 13… He’s more advanced at this stage than some college juniors.” That’s not hyperbole – we saw a glimpse of it in spring ball when Lewis would make a anticipation throw that even some older QBs on the roster hesitated to attempt.

Of course, he is still only 17, and there will be an adjustment (more on that in the “What’s Next” section). But if you were to draw up a blueprint for a freshman QB ready to compete early, Lewis checks almost every box. As fans, we should be very excited about the raw material here: this is a young man who legitimately has first-round NFL potential down the line if he continues on his trajectory. Essentially Sports.com commented that Julian Lewis is “the third highest-rated Georgia QB prospect this century”, putting him in the company of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields out of high school. Those guys turned out pretty well.

Now, talent is one thing – fit and usage are another. How will Julian Lewis fit into Colorado’s system, and what can we expect schematically as he transitions to the college game? Let’s examine how Lewis’ skills align with the Buffaloes’ offensive scheme and philosophy.

The Scheme Fit

When Julian Lewis committed to Colorado, it raised a big question: How would a pro-style prodigy from Georgia fit into the Buffs’ evolving offense under Deion Sanders? After all, in 2023 Colorado’s offense (with Shedeur Sanders at the helm and Sean Lewis initially calling plays) leaned towards an up-tempo spread attack. But as we head into 2025, Colorado’s offensive scheme is experiencing a bit of a metamorphosis – one that actually aligns with Lewis’ strengths.

One of the first things to note is Deion Sanders’ penchant for attracting NFL minds to his staff, especially on offense. This offseason, Colorado made a high-profile addition by bringing in Byron Leftwich, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator, to join the coaching staff. Leftwich, who won a Super Bowl calling plays for Tom Brady in 2020, is expected to play a major role in designing the Buffs’ offense (whether as OC or senior analyst). T.C. Lewis could hardly contain his excitement at that news – he tweeted that having his son coached by “Byron Leftwich and Pat Shurmur in college” was like a dream scenario, adding “that’s checkmate!. Pat Shurmur, of course, is Colorado’s seasoned quarterbacks coach (and interim OC late in 2023) with 20+ years of NFL coaching experience, including head coaching stints with the Giants and Browns. The fact that Lewis will be learning from not one but two former NFL play-callers is immense for his development. It’s also a good scheme fit: both Leftwich and Shurmur favor pro-style concepts that emphasize reading defenses, timing routes, and full-field progressions – precisely the areas where JuJu excels. In essence, the Buffs are tailoring a more NFL-flavored offense, and they now have an NFL-style QB mind to execute it.

In the 2025 Colorado offense, expect a mix of pro-style and spread elements. Deion Sanders has made clear he wants a balanced attack. In the spring game, with Shedeur Sanders gone, we already saw indications that the Buffs will lean more on the running game to support a young QB. Hiring Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk as running backs coach underscores this commitment to balance. Faulk’s presence is not just ceremonial – he’s installing pro running schemes and teaching backs how to be weapons in the pass game too. For Lewis, this is great news: a strong run game and backs who can catch out of the backfield are a quarterback’s best friend, especially for easing the college transition. Lewis is used to having a stout running game (Carrollton had a 1,000-yard rusher each season that Lewis played), and he excelled at play-action and RPO concepts in high school. With Faulk and Leftwich, we might see Colorado incorporate concepts from the Bucs’ playbook – think play-action deep crossers, option routes for RBs (something Faulk did in his own playing days), and a variety of personnel packages.

Crucially, Lewis’ skill set fits a pro-style passing attack to a tee. In high school he often operated out of the shotgun, but the concepts were not simplistic. Carrollton ran a lot of West Coast offense principles – quick slants, hitches, stick routes – combined with vertical shots. That’s very much in line with what an NFL-style college offense might do.

One scheme element to watch is the RPO (run-pass option) game. Lewis ran a lot of RPOs in high school – those plays where he must quickly read a defender and either hand off or throw a slant behind the linebackers, for example. He was exceptional at it, often pulling and firing strikes for 15-20 yards when linebackers bit on the run. Colorado’s staff has indicated they’ll keep RPOs as a staple. With Lewis’ lightning-fast processing, he can make those instantaneous read-and-throw decisions that RPOs demand. This will allow the Buffs to put defenses in conflict, which is key in the Big 12 known for offensive shootouts.

One potential adjustment for Lewis scheme-wise will be the speed of the game and defensive complexity. Even the best high school programs don’t throw the kind of disguised coverages and exotic blitzes that college defenses will. However, here’s where having NFL brains on staff is a boon: Shurmur and Leftwich are drilling advanced coverage recognition into him early. The spring practices gave a preview: there were reports that Lewis sometimes looked like a freshman (a bit of indecision), and the Spring Game showed some of this. However, there were other times Lewis surprised coaches by identifying a safety rotation and audibling to the correct play – something freshmen almost never do in April. As he immerses in the scheme, those instances should only increase. By fall camp, he should have a solid grasp of Colorado’s system, which by design will leverage his ability to handle more complexity than the average freshman.

One must also consider the quarterback room dynamic as part of scheme fit. Colorado didn’t just hand Lewis the keys upon arrival; they brought in Kaidon Salter, a talented dual-threat transfer from Liberty, as competition. Salter is an athletic, strong-armed QB with many college starts under his belt (he threw 47 TDs and ran for19 TDs at Liberty over the last two seasons). Scheme-wise, Salter and Lewis have different styles – Salter’s legs are a bigger factor, and he might excel in more zone-read or QB-run calls, whereas Lewis is the precision passer. Interestingly, Leftwich has experience with both pocket QBs and mobile QBs as he has coached Brady and played with Big Ben Roethlisberger). So the scheme should be flexible enough to accommodate either. If Lewis wins the job, we might see a tilt towards more spread passing and play-action. If Salter wins, maybe a bit more QB run and vertical shots off scrambles. The beauty is Colorado can adapt on the fly. In fact, Deion Sanders has hinted that both QBs could see the field situationally in 2025 if it benefits the team, a bit like how some programs use a second QB for change-of-pace packages.

What’s Next

Julian Lewis has arrived in Boulder amid sky-high expectations, but even for a prodigy, the jump to college football is no small step. What’s next for Lewis in 2025 and beyond? In the immediate term, it means a battle for the starting quarterback job and possibly an exercise in patience – for both the player and a fanbase eager to see him in action. In the long term, it means developing into the face of the program and (Buffs fans hope) a catalyst for Colorado’s return to national prominence.

Short-Term: The 2025 Quarterback Competition — and Possible Redshirt? 

Throughout spring practices and the Black & Gold spring game, Deion Sanders made it clear that the QB1 spot for 2025 was an open competition between Lewis and Salter. True to that, both quarterbacks got extensive work with the first-team offense in spring. By the end of spring camp, sources have indicated to me that Salter held a slight edge in on-field performance – the veteran’s running ability showed, and in the spring game scrimmage he looked a bit sharper, as you might expect from a 5th-year senior. Lewis, for his part, showed flashes of brilliance (a couple of wow throws that had fans buzzing) but also some freshman moments. Deion Sanders wasn’t discouraged: “He’s still a young man… [but] we are a now generation,” Sanders said.

One scenario is that Colorado could redshirt Lewis in 2025 if Salter can capably handle the starting job. This approach was even advocated by some CU columnists. As local talking head Nick Evans put it, “Having JuJu in the fall is like buying a cherry red ’72 Chevelle in December: flashy, high-performing, will absolutely draw eyes – but you have to wait before you use it.” I guess there’s some logic to this — redshirting Lewis would preserve an extra year of eligibility, allowing him to develop physically and mentally without the pressure of being the savior from day one. Under NCAA rules, he could play up to four games and still redshirt, and Colorado’s early 2025 schedule has some non-conference games (e.g. Delaware, Wyoming) that could be perfect low-stakes opportunities to get Lewis’ feet wet while keeping that redshirt intact.

The redshirt would allow Lewis to physically mature – remember, he’ll still be 17 when fall camp opens in August 2025. Adding another 10-15 pounds of muscle and acclimating to the speed of the college game without the week-to-week punishment could be very helpful. It also would let him learn from the sideline in real games. Many quarterback gurus will tell you some of the best QB development happens in that first year of watching and absorbing. JuJu could learn the nuances of defensive disguises, see how opponents scheme, and be all the more ready when it’s his time. And with Pat Shurmur and Byron Leftwich in his ear the whole way, that education would be top-notch.

However, BuffsBlog doesn’t think he’ll redshift. First, in today’s CFB landscape, it’s hard to keep a talent like Lewis off the field if he’s truly pushing the starter. The risk of quarterback transfers is real – though there’s no indication Lewis is anything but loyal to CU, highly-touted QBs don’t sit for long anymore. If he doesn’t play at all in 2025, some might speculate about his patience. But given his unique situation (so young, so tied to Deion Sanders’ vision), it’s likely he’s on board with whatever development path is best. Another reason to possibly play him is if the season doesn’t go well. Suppose Colorado struggles with Salter or Ryan Staub at QB through mid-season – there would be a lot of clamoring to let the kid play, even if it burns the redshirt. The program’s trajectory is more important than saving a year.

A likely outcome might be a middle ground: Lewis could begin the season as the backup, play in a few early games in relief (keeping the redshirt in play), and then if by late season he clearly looks like the best QB, coaches unleash him fully. This way, they aren’t forced to decide immediately. They can evaluate Salter under live bullets. If Salter is winning games and playing well, then hallelujah – Lewis can sit and learn. If not, the youngster might get the nod by mid-season as the starter, or at a minimum in certain series to spark the offense.

From Lewis’ perspective, everything we’ve heard indicates he’s handling this exactly as you’d hope: competing hard but respecting the process. In a press interview during spring, he spoke highly of Salter and even called him “big bro,” noting that he’s learning a lot from the older QB. That’s a remarkably mature attitude – instead of bristling at competition, Lewis is embracing it and using it to improve. The two have different styles but seem to push each other. Pat Shurmur said having Salter and Lewis in the same room has “raised the standard” because each brings something to the table – Salter the experience and JuJu the precocious mastery of concepts.

Longer Term: Lewis is the Face of CU’s Future

Beyond the immediate QB battle, Lewis is being groomed as Colorado’s face of the future. Whether he starts in 2025 or not, it’s clear that the program sees him as the guy for 2026 and 2027 at minimum. That means he’ll continue to get the star treatment in terms of development. Expect Colorado to involve him in leadership activities, media days, etc. even as a freshman/redshirt. They know he’s likely the starting QB in the near future, so they’ll prepare him for that role off the field too. This includes working with the strength staff to incrementally build his body. As of spring, his dad proudly noted JuJu had gotten up to 190+ lbs and was “moving better than ever” after just a few months in college weight training. Another 5-10 pounds of muscle by next year and he’ll have a very solid frame for a 6’1 QB, similar to how Bryce Young played at about 204 lbs at Alabama. The training staff is focusing on core strength (to power those throws) and flexibility (to avoid injury). Keeping him healthy is paramount. They have the luxury of not rushing him into reckless situations – a luxury they frankly didn’t have with Shedeur Sanders, who had to play every down in 2023.

If all goes according to plan, Julian “JuJu” Lewis will be the starting quarterback for Colorado for multiple seasons. The hope is he can replicate or exceed what Shedeur Sanders did, who threw for 3,700+ yards and set school records (albeit in a pass-happy system). Given Lewis’ pedigree, it’s not far-fetched to imagine him breaking some Colorado passing records of his own in time. For context, the Buffs’ single-season passing yards record is 3,936 (set by Kordell Stewart in 1994). If Lewis plays a full season in his prime, that mark could be in jeopardy. He’s used to high volume (nearly 4k yards as a freshman in HS!). Moreover, by 2026 the supporting cast around him should be hitting its stride – the young receivers and linemen brought in alongside him will be upperclassmen. Colorado could realistically field one of the conference’s top offenses in a couple of years with Lewis at the controls.

Of course, we should temper expectations in the very immediate term. Even the best quarterback prospects (e.g. Trevor Lawrence at Clemson) have growing pains. Lewis will likely face some adversity early in his CU career. Maybe it’s a multi-interception game, or a tough road environment where things don’t click. How he responds will be telling. All indications from his past suggest he’ll respond well – he bounced back from losses in high school with some of his best games, and pressure tends to bring out the best in him (witness his 5 TD performance in a state championship despite the losss. The Colorado staff and fans should be prepared to be patient if, say, he doesn’t instantly look like a superstar in limited action as a freshman. Quarterback development is rarely linear. Even Peyton Manning threw a bunch of interceptions as a freshman at Tennessee. The key is continuous improvement, which Lewis has shown at every stage of his journey.

The idea of a Deion Sanders-coached team with a Heisman-caliber quarterback isn’t far-fetched at all; in fact, that’s the vision Deion Sanders has been selling to Lewis and other recruits. Lewis could be that Heisman contender in a couple years. Remember, he’ll be draft-eligible in 2027 (age 20 going on 21). Scouts have already had an eye on him since he was 15. If he lives up to the billing, NFL teams will salivate over his intangibles and accuracy, much like they did with guys like Bryce Young after successful college careers. But that’s getting a bit ahead of ourselves – there’s a lot of football between now and then.

For now, Colorado fans should savor the fact that Lewis is a Buff. It’s not often a fanbase can genuinely say “we might have a superstar quarterback in the making.”  While this website has called him the “future savior of Colorado football” in jest, there’s a kernel of truth in the excitement: if anyone can help lead Colorado back to the promised land, it’s a talent like Lewis.