For years, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has trusted his son, Shedeur, with the ball in his hands.
Shedeur Sanders is arguably the best quarterback in the country, but the record-breaking Buffaloes star is heading to the NFL after the Alamo Bowl against BYU on Dec. 28 (5:30 p.m. MT, ABC).
Replacing Shedeur won’t be easy, but the QB room for 2025 already looks stacked, with two-year backup Ryan Staub being joined by former Liberty star Kaidon Salter, who is planning to play his final season of college football in Boulder; and five-star incoming freshman Julian “JuJu” Lewis.
Related Articles
Football recruiting: Former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter transferring to CU Buffs
Colorado State and Utah State suing Mountain West over penalties for exiting league
CU Buffs’ Deion Sanders: QB commit Julian Lewis has “unbelievable” similarities to son Shedeur Sanders
Michael Vick talks to Sacramento State and Norfolk State about head coaching jobs
CU Buffs lose LB Nikhai Hill-Green to portal, add former Alabama DL
The battle to start in 2025 will be intriguing, but there’s no question that Deion Sanders and the Buffs are bullish on the long-term future of Lewis, the highest-rated prep quarterback ever signed by the program.
“I think smart coaches at this level understand what has worked for them, and they try their best to replicate that,” Coach Prime said of Lewis. “Shedeur has worked really well for us. … I saw a lot of similarities in the way Julian’s life has been structured, speaking to his father a multitude of times. Understanding how he came up, what he wants out of life, what he wants out of the game, and from the game, and what he gives to the game.
“The similarities are unbelievable, so you want someone of that nature.”
Lewis, who is graduating from high school a year and a half early to enroll at CU next month, wrapped up his prep career on Wednesday night. It wasn’t the ending he wanted, as his Carrollton (Ga.) High School team lost to Grayson, 38-24, in the Georgia Class 6A state title game. Lewis went 30-for-42 for 333 yards and two touchdowns, but also had two interceptions.
Lewis has been a phenomenal player for Carrollton, though. A three-year starter, he led the Trojans to a 39-4 record during his prep career. He threw for 11,010 yards, 144 touchdowns (48 each season) and 21 interceptions.
“That kid right there, man, he’s everything that we desire in a quarterback,” Coach Prime said. “He’s smart. He could make every throw. He has a pocket awareness, pocket presence. He is a darn leader, but most of all, he’s a winner. People forget that category when you’re looking at quarterbacks. Are they winners? We have one right now, and we got one coming in, and we got one on campus right now as well. They’re winners. That’s the intangible that you want.”
CU offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur has a long history of working with quarterbacks in the NFL, and he’s had a chance to work closely with an elite college quarterback in Shedeur over the past year.
Now, Shurmur said he’s eager to work with Lewis, who despite his youth could be the quarterback to lead the 2025 Buffs.
“He’s highly productive,” Shurmur said. “He does all the things you need to see as a quarterback. He’s a great decision maker. He has a real sense of timing. He’s a very accurate passer. He has a heroic nature. He has all those things you’re looking for.
“Then as you get to know the person, you get to know the man, he really was one of those guys that you want to work with and help develop. That all gives a young man a bright future, but like anything else in this world, he’s got to put the work in. If he does the things that he’s done in high school and it continues to improve at this level, then he will have a bright future.”
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.