Colorado QB Julian Lewis finally got his shot this season against West Virginia. But just when he wanted one more ride to wrap up his freshman campaign, the Buffs HC Deion Sanders slammed the brakes and played the long game. He’s benching his 5-star freshman in the season finale so he can preserve his redshirt. 

“I made a decision that Juju is going to redshirt,” Deion Sanders said on November 25. “That is my decision. I want what’s best for the kid, his family, this wonderful university. I think for the program it’s best for everyone, but mainly it’s great for him. I’m not going to say he was happy.”

Julian Lewis made his first start at West Virginia, and even in a 29-22 loss, he snapped Colorado out of two straight blowouts with much-needed juice. He wanted to keep rolling, too.

“Oh yeah, I want to play football,” he said after the game. “I’ve been sitting down all season, man. I’m ready to play.” 

He flashed legitimate upside with 589 passing yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and started after Kaidon Salter’s skid. But now, Deion Sanders had other plans. 

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“Kaidon Salter will start this week, [Ryan] Staub will be the backup,” he said. “Julian wants to play, he wants to compete and I love him for it.” 

This sacrifice officially ends Julian Lewis’ freshman season, who arrived as a 5-star 2025 recruit. But it preserves a full four years of eligibility. NCAA rules allow players to appear in four games without losing a season, and the QB has already hit that limit. Playing at Kansas State would make him a sophomore next year with only three years left. Players currently get five years to play four seasons, though that could change with ongoing litigation seeking a five-years, five-seasons model. A December 15 hearing could shift everything.

After four straight losses and another season slipping off the rails, Deion Sanders has already hinted at sweeping offseason changes. Redshirting Julian Lewis is the first unmistakable sign that Colorado is shifting towards a long run. As of now, the Buffs are limping in at 3-8, already eliminated from bowl play, making this the only game that could be sacrificed without consequences. This is the clearest pivot yet toward Year 4 of the Prime era and fans immediately connected it to one thing. JuJu’s future.

Colorado nation activates panic mode on Julian Lewis’ news

Fans think this redshirt feels less like protection and more like a runway to leave. “Uh, does this mean he’s portal bound Jake?” one skeptical fan commented. They’re reading between every syllable Deion Sanders says. And in Boulder, paranoia spreads fast especially in a losing season.

The next comment is irony at its finest. “Hope this doesn’t backfire and cause Juju it enter the transfer portal,” another person wrote. Supporters fear Colorado just benched the future to protect the future. This reaction speaks for every fan holding their breath until December.

Some believe this is self-sabotage. As this fan wrote, “Say hello to the portal. He is gone…another terrible decision.” To them, Deion Sanders is playing chess while losing checkers.

Some fans think Julian Lewis was sold a dream and woke up in a rebuild. “Fertilizer… Kid’s leaving Boulder, as fast as he arrived..  I wouldn’t disagree, he’s been sold a bill of goods.. deserves to go where he’ll be developed.. and made to hit the weight room..” another wrote. They believe the redshirt is the final nudge out the door.

Meanwhile some fans connect the dots. “Means he’s leaving and wants to keep the extra year. Likely means Sanders is out the door too,” they commented. And if the star freshman is wobbling, they fear that signals deeper instability. Maybe even the HC leaving. It reflects panic, distrust, and the emotional exhaustion of a fanbase tired of roster blunder.

In this portal-driven landscape, no young QB is guaranteed to stay put. But Julian Lewis tried to shut down rumors after the ASU game saying he’s “a Buff through and through” and that he “don’t got no reason to go.” His comments present a counterweight to the portal panic.

Also, AD Rick George issued a public vote of confidence in Deion Sanders. The AD will step down in 2026 but insists his HC is not on the hot seat. That messaging re-centers the narrative on continuity, not crisis. Both statements push the storyline toward internal development and rebuilding. Redshirting Julian Lewis fits perfectly into that larger identity shift.