Colorado Buffaloes Freshman Julian Lewis Lands Exclusive NIL Deal With Celebrity Brand

The Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders have a bright future at quarterback with former 5-star recruit Julian "JuJu" Lewis.

Lewis is exciting coaches already as a freshman and branding himself among the top NIL (name, image, likeness) earning athletes with a new exclusive partnership with a celebrity-owned brand. Lewis landed the deal alongside Oregon wide receiver Dakorien Moore, Ohio State cornerback Devin Sanchez, and Texas linebacker Colin Simmons.

Colorado buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis nil deal money deion sanders coach prime legends partnership Quavo Baker Mayfield — Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Julian Lewis Lands Exclusive NIL Deal

Performance apparel brand Legends partnered with four elite athletes ahead of the 2025 college football season: Lewis, Moore, Sanchez and Simmons. The brand announced the NIL partnership on Instagram, highlighting the "future legends."

Lewis and the other three underclassmen have high expectations to make instant impacts for their respective teams. They could become household names sooner rather than later.

"We’re proud to introduce four of college football’s most electrifying athletes as the newest members of the Legends family. This brand was built by and for the ones rewriting the playbook, and these guys are on their way. The Future Legends are here to leave their mark," wrote Legends on Instagram.

The Legends ownership group includes celebrities and athletes like Quavo, Baker Mayfield, DeAndre Hopkins, Matt Barnes, Marcus and Markieff Morris, Steve Nash and Larry Nance Jr.

Colorado Buffaloes Starting Quarterback Deion Sanders Kaidon Salter Julian Lewis Week One Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets — Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Kaidon Salter (3) during the spring game at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Lewis' NIL Valuation

Lewis has yet to play a snap in college football and is already an asset to brands.

Lewis has the second-highest NIl valuation on the Colorado roster, behind only Jordan Seaton ($1.3 million) per On3. Lewis has an impressive $1.1 million NIL Valuation after NIL deals that include Legends, Taco Bell, Gym Weed, Leaf Trading Cards and jewelry brand Jaxxon.

His $1.1 million valuation ranks No. 26-highest among college football quarterbacks. This is notably higher than fellow Colorado quarterback Kaidon Salter, a transfer from Liberty who has a $387,000 NIL valuation that ranks No. 57 among college football quarterbacks.

On social media, Lewis boasts 175,000 followers on Instagram, 61,000 followers on TikTok and 45,000 followers on Twitter/X.

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Colorado Coach Deion Sanders Has Yet To Name Starting Quarterback

The Colorado Buffaloes have yet to announce a starting quarterback between Salter and Lewis. Colorado's first game of the season is against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Friday, Aug. 29 at Folsom Field.

"Coach Prime" has the tough task of replacing his son and former starting quarterback for the past two seasons, Shedeur Sanders. Shedeur Sanders, is now making headlines in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns.

Salter has the experience edge after playing at Liberty from 2021 through 2024. In his Liberty career, he threw for 5,889 yards and 56 passing touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he rushed for another 2,006 yards and 21 rushing touchdowns.

Lewis, a former 5-star recruit from Carrollton High School in Georgia, is bringing an breath of fresh optimism to the Colorado program while paying tribute to a Buffaloes legend. Lewis will wear the No. 10 jersey, which could be retired at some point after former quarterback star Kordell Stewart wore it from 1991-94. Stewart, also known as the "Slash" for excelling at multiple offensive positions, was a second-round NFL Draft pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1995.

Coach Prime speaks to the media on Tuesday, Aug. 26 and might shed more light on the quarterback competition.

Colorado hosts Georgia Tech Friday night at 6:05 p.m. MT on ESPN.