Brennan Marion Pulls Back the Curtain on Julian Lewis' Level of Focus

The Colorado Buffaloes have full faith in quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis leading the new offense.

Hence why coach Deion Sanders or any member of the Buffaloes staff avoided going after a high-profile passer in the transfer portal. Or even aimed to land a blue chip 2026 recruit at quarterback. That's how much confidence Colorado clearly has in the 2025 signing who even flipped from USC on the eve of the early December signing period back in 2024.

Brennan Marion Describes Julian Lewis Focus

Colorado Buffaloes Julian Lewis Folsom Field Big 12 Conference Brennan Marion Deion Sanders Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — Sacramento State Hornets head coach Brennan Marion listens to one of the assistant coaches yell at players on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, South Dakota. | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lewis and Colorado's season opener became set to take them back to the quarterback's home state. He's a native of Carrollton, Georgia, and he established himself as a school record breaker and prominent recruit. And he delivered his production, including a 39-4 record with 11,010 passing yards, in the shadow of the ACC university in Atlanta.

Lewis' newest offensive coordinator Brennan Marion sees firsthand the talent Lewis brings. But Marion shined a light on Lewis' focus while addressing reporters on Aug. 27 in Boulder. More so how locked in Lewis is for the 2026 opening foe.

"I know he wants this game," Marion proclaimed. "The thing that we are proud of him the most is he’s been practicing at a high level. He’s done all the little things right, gotten out of his comfort zone and with a smile on his face.”

Lewis got his feet wet toward the end of 2025 in earning the starting nod for Colorado, coming amid its 3-9 finish. But Marion signaled which game Lewis clearly had written down all this time. Lewis secretly circled the Sept. 3 showdown all along, with a chance to impress his home state one more time but with Colorado.

Julian Lewis Plan Becoming More Crystallized

Sanders plucked Marion from Sacramento State in a massive offseason move to reignite the offense before spring game got into full swing. Marion, in return, left his head coaching post after only one season at the helm.

Yet Marion presents a deep history of creating explosive results for his playmakers, including quarterbacks via his previous body of work at Howard University, William and Mary, then UNLV when he oversaw the offense. Now the play-caller can unleash Lewis in Boulder.

Many Buffalo fans and even college football analysts will believe Marion is going to turn to Lewis' legs. Yet the 6-1 quarterback delivered his best production inside the pocket and rarely runs, trusting his eyes and arm way more than his legs. Marion, though, is aiming to lean into the two former traits.

Julian Lewis Brennan Marion Colorado Buffaloes Damian Henderson Deion Sanders Big 12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) hands the ball off to running back Damian Henderson (26) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"We’re gonna always manipulate the offense to what the quarterback can do well," Marion said to reporters.

But Marion adds that Lewis isn't limited as a runner, saying "he's fast enough" to become mobile when needed. Which presents a great thing for his "Go-Go" offense as its a system reliant on speed.

However, the focus shifts to Lewis' eyes and brain, as Marion described a laser focused quarterback here for the 2026 season.

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