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As star quarterback Shedeur Sanders neared the end of his playing days in Colorado and then Sanders eventually being drafted by the Cleveland Browns, everyone had one question: Who would coach Deion Sanders' next quarterback be? Was it going to be transfer portal acquisition Kaidon Salter? Or a five-star recruit coming from high school?
Nothing is official yet, but some pundits believe Colorado football may have found its answer when five-star QB Julian ‘Juju' Lewis decommitted from USC to play in Boulder.
Who is Julian ‘Juju' Lewis?
Lewis should be a senior in high school next school year. But with the lure of becoming the starting quarterback to one of the up-and-coming programs in college football, he chose to reclassify.
Lewis has made headlines since he entered Carrollton High School in Alabama. On the field, he threw 48 touchdowns as a sophomore in one of the toughest high school leagues in the country. He also finished that season winning Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year.
Off the field, Lewis made even more history by being the youngest football player in history to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated, and he didn't even receive a dime for it as, at the time, Georgia was one of 19 states that did not allow amateur athletes to make money off their name, image, and likeness (NIL), a law that lawmakers amended late in 2024.
During a time when amateur athletes were still restricted, that didn't sway Lewis' decision to switch schools. He and his family felt that playing in Carrolton was his best opportunity to develop into a more well-rounded quarterback.
Goes to show how committed Lewis already is at such a young age to becoming an elite quarterback.
Juju Lewis is ready to fight for his spot as Colorado football's QB1
One of the main reasons Lewis chose to enter college early was because of the competition.
“I feel like high school football probably didn’t have much more for me, even if it meant coming in here and competing for a job young,” said Lewis in an interview after his first few practices in CU.
Lewis also gave credit to the intense competition he faced in high school as one of the driving forces that helped him develop into one of the top high school prospects in the nation.
“Playing in pressure-packed environments just helped me grow up and get here. I feel like Georgia football is one of the higher ranks of high school football in the country, and I feel like (playing) in that competition at such a young age just helped me develop,” Lewis said.
One thing is for sure, Lewis won't be short on competition this year with the QB situation for Colorado football. Whatever happens, you can guarantee a lot of eyes will be on Lewis and the Buffaloes in the near future.
