The main concern surrounding Deion Sanders and his Colorado Buffaloes program, aside from whether the head coach would stay in Boulder, was who would replace his son and quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.
Shedeur, who transferred from Jackson State to Colorado before the 2023 season, quickly became one of college football’s top quarterbacks. While both his father and the fans hoped for his return for another season, Shedeur, a projected first-round pick, had already accepted an invitation to the East-West Shrine Bowl.
Behind Shedeur, Colorado’s quarterback depth was filled with inexperienced and unproven players, making the unit’s potential uncertain. However, the Buffs were able to secure one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects during the early signing period: five-star recruit Julian Lewis.
Securing Lewis, a 2026 recruit who reclassified to the 2025 class, was a significant achievement, as he had several top programs vying for his commitment. Lewis initially pledged to USC in August 2023, but schools like Auburn, Indiana, and Georgia made strong late pushes.
After decommitting from USC on November 17, Lewis announced his decision to join Sanders and Colorado on November 21 during an appearance on ESPN’s “Pat McAfee Show.” While Buffs fans celebrated, they knew that until he officially signed, the situation was still uncertain. That uncertainty ended on Wednesday when Colorado officially announced Lewis had signed.
According to ESPN’s recruiting rankings, Julian Lewis is the No. 2 player in the country, just behind Michigan commit Bryce Underwood. On3’s NIL Valuations also place him as the No. 7 highest-earning high school football player in terms of NIL, with a valuation of $962,000, ranking him No. 85 among all athletes.
Lewis will have the opportunity to showcase why he’s so highly ranked and valued when he arrives in Boulder, as he has a clear path to the starting quarterback position.
In his final season at Carrollton High School, Lewis has accumulated 3,272 passing yards, 44 touchdowns, and just four interceptions over 13 games. He and the No. 5-ranked Trojans (13-0) are set to face the No. 10-ranked Buford Wolves (12-1) in the Georgia 6A semifinals this Friday.
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