Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes lose their two superstars after this season as Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders are both projected to go early in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But reinforcements are on the way, and 2025 quarterback signee Julian Lewis might be the best of the bunch. What does he bring to the table and could he start in 2025?
Scouting Colorado’s True Freshman QB Julian Lewis
Julian Lewis is the top quarterback in College Football Network’s 2025 quarterback recruiting rankings. Accordingly, he’s one of a few true freshmen we think could start in Year 1 at the college level.
The Buffaloes brought in veteran Kaidon Salter from the transfer portal, but I don’t believe that means Salter will enter spring camp as the favorite.
Lewis is running the scout team for Colorado’s Alamo Bowl practices in anticipation of the clash with Jake Retzlaff and the BYU Cougars. That’s not an empty position. It means that ahead of his January enrollment, Lewis is already getting dozens of snaps in practice.
Sanders is giving him an early opportunity to prove himself before he’s even a student at the university.
That speaks highly of Sanders’ belief in Lewis’ upside. But what about Lewis makes him a candidate to take over for a likely 2025 first-round pick in Shedeur Sanders? Here’s what Lewis brings to the table.
Experience
Lewis re-classified from the 2026 to the 2025 class and he’s still one of the more experienced starting quarterbacks in the 2025 class.
Lewis started 43 games in his three years in high school, starting every game as a freshman.
In his time at Carrollton (GA) High School, he attempted over 1,000 passes, completing 69% of them for over 11,000 yards. He had a head start too. His high school freshman film shows maturity coaches would love to see from juniors and seniors. He was already polished at 13.
He’s much more polished at 17.
That means he isn’t behind. Yes, there’s a learning curve to the college game, but Lewis is ahead of where most freshmen are at this stage. Getting extra bowl reps will only help prepare him.
Decision-Making
It’s easiest to see Lewis’ growth in his three years of high school in his interception numbers. He threw 48 touchdowns in all three seasons at the high school level but threw 12 interceptions as a freshman. He threw just nine total picks between his next two seasons.
It’s not just that he doesn’t make mistakes; it’s that he’s quick to make good decisions as well. He’s excellent at going through his progressions and being decisive in the passing game. He knows his first, second, and third options on every play and gets to those secondary and tertiary receivers quickly.
Release
Lewis has a quick release and short throwing motion. He’s not the tallest guy, just 6’1″, and his quick, repeatable throwing motion allows him to anticipate breaks and get the ball on his receivers in a hurry, without having to have the cannon that some other quarterbacks possess.
He plays an anticipation game. His arm isn’t strong enough to force throws, so he compensates by getting the ball out quickly from the beginning to end of his throwing motion.
Like many younger quarterbacks, Lewis can effectively change his arm angle without losing accuracy. He’ll drop his elbow to throw sidearmed around edge rushers or go with a more upright, over-the-top approach if he has pressure in his face.
Mobility
Lewis’ mobility is an underrated part of his game. He’s not a true dual threat.
Instead, he uses his athleticism to escape pressure and quickly reset his feet. He’s typically looking to throw when he escapes the pocket, but he’ll run some around the end zone or near the first down marker.
Lewis is excellent at avoiding sacks and he can usually get himself into position to deliver with accuracy or at least throw the ball away. Don’t expect him to run for 500 yards in a season, but he can beat pressure with his legs.
Accuracy
Lewis completed nearly 70% of his passes in high school and 75.6% during his final season. It’s not like he checks the ball down often. Lewis loves to push the ball down the field and rarely throws an uncatchable ball.
His accuracy numbers aren’t inflated. He shows accuracy at all levels of the defense and makes smart decisions. His decision-making and accuracy are linked because he’s usually able to find the open man and deliver on time. He doesn’t force the ball and put his receivers in awkward situations.
Who Is Julian Lewis’ Best Player Comp?
Fans and analysts love to compare future players to past players to understand how they might look.
When we do player comps, we’re talking more about how players win on the field than making a statement about their potential.
So, when I say Lewis looks like a slightly more slippery Bryce Young, that’s not a prediction that he’ll win a Heisman Trophy or go first in the NFL Draft. Instead, it shows the type of player he is.
Lewis, like Young, is at his best as a point guard. He wants to read the defense pre-snap and deliver quickly to the open guy. He wants to scan the field and he’s more comfortable escaping the pocket than standing tall when waiting for his receivers t break open.
Both guys can be tricked into misreading an initial coverage, leading to an occasional dangerous throw. However, they’re each accurate enough that you rarely see them miss throws. Both make primarily good decisions and if they misfire, it’s usually due to misreading the coverage rather than throwing an inaccurate ball.
MORE: Track every transfer portal athlete’s movement in and out of the portal now
Lewis is a bit more advanced both mechanically and as an overall passer at this point in his career, mainly due to the competition level at which he plays. Young developed a great deal between his freshman and sophomore years at Alabama and had the luxury of sitting behind Mac Jones in 2020.
If Salter earns the starting job next year, he’ll have earned it and Lewis will have the same luxury of adjusting slowly to the college game. If called upon, though, he has the skill set to win games in 2025.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.