Julian Lewis’s 2025 performance didn’t live up to the hype he carried into Boulder. Even Deion Sanders’ Colorado didn’t meet expectations due to its offensive struggles. But ahead of the 2026 season, the Buffs’ head coach brings in Brennan Marion with his go-go offense, making sure of a comeback. In fact, Sanders has already set the standard for Lewis.

“30 points per game is our threshold,” said Sanders during his Friday appearance.

Lewis isn’t just hype; his high school career at Carrollton, where he ranked among the state’s all-time leaders in passing yards and touchdowns, proves he has the pedigree to succeed. The question is whether that talent can translate to the college level under a new system. Even Sanders opened up about why Marion’s hiring stands out.

“The points per game. Everybody I interviewed, they averaged 30 points per game. When we score 30 points per game, we win; when we don’t, we lose. When we hold people under a certain number as well, we win. So that was huge. So, everyone we brought in to interview, that was that. But I need toughness, their mentality, points per game,” added the Buffs head coach.

With Marion’s arrival, Lewis gets a way to get rid of last year’s struggle due to a lack of running-game support. The new OC’s go-go offense has two RBs lined up next to each other on one side of the QB. That forces defenses into difficult alignment choices. Despite its spread appearance, the system prioritizes a physical, “downhill” rushing attack that averages high yards per carry and creates big-play opportunities.

With that fast-paced system built on a relentless run game and deep vertical shots, Marion has explicitly stated that it does not require a running QB. It will rely on Lewis’s decision-making and arm talent. Even for Lewis, the scheme looked exciting from the start.

“Man, it looked beautiful to me,” said the redshirt freshman QB.

Last season, Lewis, the projected 2026 QB1, saw limited action, appearing in four games, and he completed 52 of 94 passes for 589 yards. That experience was a blessing to the QB. For him, the biggest leap in his development has been mental.

“I mean, coach Marion brought in this Go-Go system and it’s been crazy to learn and try to read the defenses with all the progressions and things like that but honestly, it’s been awesome learning it,” said Lewis.

Lewis is currently in the lab, learning to master the complexities of the go-go offense’s progressions and defensive reads. But there is a flip side.

ESPN tells a different story about Julian Lewis

Following a redshirt freshman campaign that flashed promise but also exposed growing pains, Julian Lewis has officially taken hold of the QB1 role in Boulder. However, national perception hasn’t fully caught up to the hype.

In his latest preseason evaluation, Bill Connelly ranked Lewis No. 62 out of 68 Power 4 QBs, writing, “Lewis was good in one late-season start (over West Virginia) and lost in another (a blowout defeat to Arizona State), but he has tools.”

But that outside noise doesn’t seem to bother Coach Prime, who remains confident in his quarterback’s leadership.

“That first snap against Georgia Tech, he’ll (Lewis) be coming around that mountain,” said Sanders. “He’ll be straight.”

Despite that, a 55% completion rate of the former 5-star reflects both his inexperience and the challenges he faced. What’s more impressive is that Lewis didn’t commit a single turnover despite playing behind a shaky O-line. Now, with the go-go offense, the young QB could get a solid chance to enhance his numbers.

With that boost in production, Deion Sanders’ Colorado may bounce back in the 2026 season after a 3-9 season.