Colorado Buffaloes Turn Heads With Quarterback Julian Lewis Decision

The Colorado Buffaloes finished the first half against the Baylor Bears trailing 10-3, and Colorado coach Deion Sanders exited halftime with quarterback Isaac Wilson commanding the offense instead of starting quarterback Julian Lewis.

The Buffaloes are dealing with injuries to wide receiver DeAndre Moore and tight end Zach Atkins, but Lewis' being sidelined appears to be a coaches' decision.

Quarterback Isaac Wilson in for Julian Lewis

Whether or not "JuJu" Lewis is dealing with an injury remains to be seen, but Wilson got the nod to start the second half on the road against Baylor. In the first half, Lewis completed 11 of 16 passes for 75 yards.

colorado buffaloes julian lewis deion sanders big 12 isaac wilson quarterback benching baylor bears brennan marion — Apr 11, 2026; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Isaac Wilson (16) rushes with the ball during the spring game at Folsom Field | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Meanwhile, Colorado finished the first half 1-of-6 on third down conversions, and the Buffs offense failed to convert on its only fourth down attempt, giving the ball back to Baylor. Lewis was also sacked three times for a loss of 23 yards as Colorado's offense struggled to string together many productive possessions.

On the season, Lewis struggled against the two other Power Four defenses that he's faced, Northwestern and Georgia Tech. Lewis has six touchdowns on the season with four coming against Weber State, and his two interceptions on the year came against Northwestern.

Upon entering the game, Wilson's first pass attempt to wide receiver Joseph Williams fell incomplete. Wilson did complete a pass to Williams for a 20-yard gain on third down, but the Buffaloes eventually punted the ball back to Baylor. Lewis could re-enter the game at some point, but Colorado appears to be giving Wilson his chance to prove himself.

How Colorado handles the quarterback situation for the rest of the game remains to be seen, if Lewis will play out the rest of the game or if Lewis will see another opportunity against Baylor. Wilson did enter the game for a second series in the third quarter, starting deep in Colorado's territory.

Earlier in the week, "Coach Prime" touched upon Lewis' development, revealing that the Colorado quarterback still has room to grow.

“Some things you eliminate. See, you guys take everything for granted. Like some things, I really tell you the truth, and you don't believe me, right? Have I lied to you one time? Haven’t I told you the truth the whole way? And I sat there a while ago. I said he'd be coming right around the mountain when he comes, right? So what does that mean? He's not there yet. Okay, so we can't expect that from a person if that's not who he is; he's a football player,” Sanders said.

Colorado Buffaloes Defense Impressing vs. Baylor Bears

The Buffs defense forced two "three and outs" against the Baylor offense in the first half, and the Colorado defense continued to stop the Bears' offensive momentum at the start of the third quarter.

In the first half, Baylor averaged 3.8 yards per play with a total of 139 yards against Colorado. The Bears were able to have some success moving the ball, picking up 10 first downs with a 50 percent conversion rate on third down, and the Buffaloes will likely need a few more stops in order to pull off a potential comeback.

With defensive coordinator Chris Marve having success leading his unit, can Wilson provide a spark for Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and the Buffaloes?

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