Turns out Shedeur Sanders isn’t the only one in Boulder with perfect timing.
The morning after CU curb-stomped Utah to improve to 8-2, moving into a tie for first in the Big 12, four-star prep quarterback Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis told On3.com that he was punting USC to re-open his recruiting.
I don’t believe in that many coincidences over 18 hours. And neither does Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst with 247Sports.
“I think CU is definitely the team to beat right now (for Lewis) and has been even before he de-committed,” Biggins wrote me Monday. “I think Lewis is the ‘most ready to play now’ QB in this year’s (prep senior) class. Meaning of all the top QBs, he’s ready to step in and compete as a true freshman, has an advanced feel for the position, IQ off the charts, poised and will have no issues picking up a complex playbook.”
“I’m not counting out Georgia for anybody until they sign on National Signing Day in a few weeks,” Gorney, national recruiting director with Rivals and Yahoo Sports, told me, “but every report I’ve gotten out of Athens is that Lewis seems to be leaning toward the Buffaloes and finally jumping on board with Sanders and especially offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. The idea of taking over for Shedeur Sanders is another big factor here.”
“Colorado has a quicker path to playing time with Shedeur Sanders’ impending NFL departure,” 247Sports’ longtime national recruiting editor added. “Georgia has equal if not better talent on the roster already. Indiana was tired of playing the waiting game, so CU looks to be in the best position.”
When it rains, it soars.
Lewis is a 6-foot, laser-throwing machine who posted a 25-3 record over ’21 and ’22 in Georgia’s largest high-school classification. 247Sports.com rates him as the 34th-best prospect nationally for the Class of ’25, while the site’s Andrew Ivins describes the teen as a signal-caller who can “rip tight, accurate spirals to all different levels … has proven to be a crafty mover both in and outside of the pocket and will extend plays like a true escape artist.”
Which sounds an awful lot like the guy the Buffs have now. Sure, it’s not a done deal. But the smoke’s been awfully thick around Lewis and CU for months, ever since Boulder rolled out some serious gold carpet this past June during Ju Ju’s official campus visit.
High school quarterback Julian Lewis of Carrollton High School attends a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on Nov. 16, 2024 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Related Articles
Renck vs. Keeler: Is Broncos’ Bo Nix the best quarterback in 2024 draft class?
Keeler: Justin Simmons talked smack about Broncos pregame. Javonte Williams, football gods made him pay.
Keeler: CU Buffs’ Travis Hunter, college football’s Nikola Jokic, planted Heisman Trophy flag on Utah’s backside
Keeler: What has Deion Sanders meant to CU Buffs? Ask this fan who’s returning to Folsom Field for first time in 20 years
Keeler: Broncos Super Bowl kicker’s tip to Alex Forsyth? Follow Taylor Swift’s advice after Chiefs debacle: Shake it off.
Remember that picture the kid took while he was here? There was Lewis, the Georgia teen, sitting on the Sanders family throne. Standing to his right was Shedeur Sanders, the NFL’s most draftable QB prospect in 2025, handing over a set of keys.
Keys to the kingdom. Keys to the legacy, to the future, to the family. And to a franchise with a young left tackle already in place. All this can be yours.
“I would be very encouraged (if I were a CU fan),” Huffman said. “I’m a big believer in, ‘Watch what they do and not what they say.’”
There’s what it means … and what it means.
“No way in heck he is coming to CU,” Biggins stressed, “if he’s not confident Deion (Sanders) will be there when he gets there.”
Ah, yes. The elephant in the room again. During the Buffs’ Charles Kelly Era, skeptics — yours truly included — had a hard time seeing Coach Prime stick around past early 2025, when Shedeur Sanders, Shilo Sanders and Travis Hunter ride off into the NFL sunset. It was all about 2024, maximizing that last dance together, and whatever happens after that … happens.
But Lewis changes that picture. And that math.
On the heels of a ’24 season — with its Hollywood script borrowed straight from the NFL’s writers room — that feels destined for a Big 12 crown and a College Football Playoff berth, Coach Prime is going to have his pick of the portal.
Come to Boulder, get coached by NFL veterans, meet Snoop Dogg, dance with Miss Peggy, win Big 12 titles. Killer sales pitch, especially once you’ve added that last part to the equation. If 2023 was all about the splash, this fall has seen The Sanders Administration stack up substance.
Coach Prime could probably land the best transfer QB on the market every cycle from here on out. Yet having Lewis in the mix says something else.
If Sanders thinks you can play right away as a freshman, you will. Even in a portal world, why would the teen seriously consider CU if he didn’t think Prime was serious about coaching him?
“Now that said, this doesn’t guarantee Deion Sanders is there long term,” Huffman said. “But given how deliberate the Lewis camp has been in recruiting throughout his career, I would be stunned if he went somewhere for a coach who was looking to leave sooner rather than later.”
If the NFL offers Shedeur a chance to prove he can win without his dad, the same is true of Coach Prime with Shedeur’s CU successor — whether it’s Lewis or someone else.
A chance to show that the Buffs’ rapid rise and resuscitation is, indeed, sustainable. That Coach Prime is in this thing, if not for a long haul, then at least a medium one.
And those hauls don’t come much better, or sweeter, than Ju Ju.
Want more sports news? Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver’s teams.