Julian Lewis already has a flash – on and off the field. Colorado’s five-star freshman QB already carries himself with a cool confidence, dripped in NIL swag and brimming with potential. Poised and unapologetically aware of the attention he commands. The comparisons to Shedeur Sanders are inevitable. Both are high-profile QBs with serious arm talent, media magnetism, and that modern aura part franchise face, part cultural figure. But for Lewis, who watched the chaos that surrounded Sanders’ NFL Draft plunge in real time, were there any takeaways for him to avoid the same fate?
Unlike Shedeur, JuJu has the benefit of hindsight. As Rivals predicted, the quarterback prodigy is charting his own path, but he’s also internalized what went wrong for Sanders. Julian Lewis saw it all—the slide from top-five talk to a fifth-round pick, the scrutiny around Deion Sanders’ bold proclamations, the perceived arrogance during pre-draft meetings. Those optics matter, and Lewis seems to get that. He’s not just a cannon-armed kid with swagger—he’s calculated. And the last thing he’ll want is to be remembered for his off-field branding more than his on-field brilliance.
The blueprint is simple but crucial: don’t let noise dictate the narrative. “Don’t have your father predict you as a top-five pick. Don’t have your dad say publicly there are some cities that are no-gos. Don’t treat the pre-draft process like a recruiting trip (where the coaches have to bow down to you) and instead treat it more like a job interview. Be prepared for getting on the white board and answering questions.” That checklist is brutally honest and to the point, consisting of everything Lewis has seen up close. He’s got every tool to become a future first-rounder. But that’s earned, not assumed.
As for the now, there’s tension brewing beneath the surface in Boulder. Kaidon Salter, a seasoned and skilled passer in his own right, is watching the Julian Lewis phenomenon take root fast. Salter can hear it—the chants from kids at the Spring Game, the autograph requests, the growing buzz around JuJu’s arrival. That aura is real. But for Salter, maturity will be tested. The locker room doesn’t run on fanfare, and the most experienced QB on the roster has to decide whether he’ll fuel the fire or lead with grace.
Only the beginning Nation https://t.co/DYYTD77H3E
— Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) April 22, 2025
The storm Shedeur endured may be Julian’s greatest gift. Falling from the first to the fifth round isn’t just a cautionary tale—it’s a roadmap of what not to do when your talent says “star,” but your brand clouds the vision. Lewis now knows what NFL teams are truly evaluating. It’s not just highlight reels and social media presence—it’s humility in interviews, awareness in meetings, and how you command respect when there’s no camera on.
Colorado’s nation has seen its true colors during these quarterback transitions. Fandom swings fast. From Shedeur’s superstar billing to Julian’s fresh start, the Buffs faithful crave a face to rally behind. Lewis looks like that guy. But the hype train only rolls so far without discipline, self-awareness, and a little scar tissue—his or someone else’s.
JuJu Lewis hits the ground learning in first CU spring game
Julian “JuJu” Lewis didn’t walk into his first college spring game slinging highlight-reel touchdowns. Instead, he walked away with something even more valuable: experience. The 17-year-old phenom and early enrollee showed flashes of promise, but also the growing pains that come with jumping from high school straight into Power Five football.
Going 10-of-18 for 63 yards and a touchdown against CU’s top defense, Lewis looked every bit like a teenager learning the ropes in a ‘quarterback-friendly’ setting. But don’t let the modest stat line fool you—his ceiling is sky-high. “My biggest takeaway so far has been the extra time you need to spend on football,” Lewis admitted.
“You have to be here, get the extra time with the GAs and all the extra people. My boy Isaac (Kresge) is in there with me. Isaac’s with me every day, we go through the script for the next day. I definitely didn’t need that in high school because the scouting wasn’t as challenging and the plays weren’t as deep,” he added.
Lewis is in the mix for CU’s starting QB job, battling transfer QB Salter and returning QB Ryan Staub. “We’ve got such a great quarterback room,” he said. “He’s (Salter) big bro and I get his little tips and tricks… he’s been there, done that.” The JuJu era may be just beginning, but the foundation is already being built brick by brick. And with Shedeur’s ordeal in light, the lesson is clear: there’s a difference between having juice and letting it spill all over your moment.
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