Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders’ son, Deion Sanders Jr., stepped in to defend the program against the off-field storm following quarterback JuJu Lewis’ controversial comments at Big 12 Media Days. The quarterback started the 2025 season as backup to Kaidon Salter and also started two games before opting to redshirt.
After Lewis blamed Colorado’s 3-9 season on poor coaching, Sanders Jr. made a public admission and defended former Buffaloes quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur against the quarterback’s opinion.
“They know good & well what JuJu meant,” Sanders Jr. wrote on X. “You can hate the play calling, but Coach Shurmur taught coverages & etc .. Just let people hate. It’s summer time… money slow right now for everybody.”
The comment from Sanders Jr. came after Lewis called out Colorado’s 112th nationally ranked offense in 2025 for the reason behind poor results.
“My play, I’m actually looking at the defense,” he told ESPNU. “Last year, we weren’t really looking at defense as much. Just kind of high school free ball and just out there playing football. But, you know, it’s a lot bigger than that now. So it should be fine.”
Many interpreted the quarterback’s remarks as suggesting the Buffaloes’ quarterbacks did little film study or defensive preparation last year.
Colorado QB JuJu Lewis Happy Over Changes Made In Offseason
The Buffaloes had a terrible season, and heads were rolled as a result.
Pat Shurmur was let go by the program after a 53-7 loss at Utah on Oct. 25. Sanders replaced him with offensive coordinator Brennan Mario. Moreover, with the departure of Robert Livingston to the Denver Broncos, Chris Marve has taken charge of defense.
As far as JuJu Lewis is concerned, he feels a lot more comfortable than he probably felt last season under Shurmur.
“Watching the transfer portal and watching the coaches change, you’ve got to adapt and just be ready for whatever comes your way… I’m a lot more comfortable,” Lewis said at the Big 12 Media Days.
In his limited appearances in 2025, the former four-star recruit completed 55.3% of his passes for 589 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Lewis will once again face competition in the preseason for the starting quarterback role. Utah transfer Isaac Wilson may stand in his way, and freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne can also be considered.
For now, there is a lot to unravel over the offseason, and Lewis will have to make sure he doesn’t lose the advantage of starting some games last year for the program.
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