Deion Sanders Makes One Thing Clear About Julian Lewis’ Colorado Role

Deion Sanders praised Julian Lewis for taking the Colorado Buffaloes' offensive line to dinner Tuesday, but he also preached patience when it comes to his quarterback.

Sep 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) walks off the field after defeating the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After Colorado's second-year quarterback Julian Lewis produced a record-setting afternoon against Weber State, the easiest answer for Colorado coach Deion Sanders would have been to match the excitement. But instead, Sanders chose a more measured response on Tuesday.

“He’s coming,” Sanders said. “You can’t expect certain things to happen expeditiously because he hasn’t played a lot of this level.”

Deion Sanders praised Julian Lewis’ progress Tuesday while asking for patience with the second-year quarterback. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Sanders then brought up something outside the field (the fact that Lewis has been taking Colorado’s offensive line out to eat). The two comments fit together. Sanders likes the growth he is seeing, but he still wants everyone around Lewis to keep the timeline reasonable.

Deion Sanders Kept Julian Lewis’ Preseason Job Simple

Before the season, Sanders framed Lewis’ responsibilities much more narrowly when he was asked how important the quarterback would be to Colorado’s offense. This is what Sanders had to say at the time: 

“You’re not looking for leadership, you’re not looking for this, you’re not looking for that,” Sanders said. “All we’re looking for is to execute the plays, throw the ball to the man that’s open. We’re good. Move down the field.”

Sanders continued by trying to keep expectations manageable for a young quarterback whose recruiting profile is attracting lots of attention.

“One thing I don’t want to do is add pressure on that position,” Sanders commented. “Don’t have to be great. You don’t have to be outstanding. Just do what we ask you to do, and he’s gonna do that.”

Colorado’s offensive line includes several transfers working with Julian Lewis in Brennan Marion’s offense. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Julian Lewis is Building Relationships With Colorado’s Offensive Line

The dinner trips stand out because Sanders had not asked Lewis to carry the leadership burden yet. He wanted execution first, and Lewis is beginning to add some of the relationship-building that comes with playing quarterback.

Colorado’s offensive line includes several transfers as Colorado offensive coordinator Brennan Marion installs his Go-Go offense. With new pieces around Lewis, taking the group out to eat is a simple way to build familiarity away from meetings and practice.

Sanders never put that on the preseason checklist either. He asked for completions, good decisions, and command of the offense. The dinner trips are a clear indication that Lewis is growing into parts of the position that do not show up in a box score.

Deion Sanders Has Preached Patience With Julian Lewis Before

The ‘patience message’ from Sanders is not new. After Lewis made his first career start at West Virginia last November, Sanders praised what he saw while also pointing directly to the mistakes that came with youth.

Sep 12, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) during the second quarter against the Weber State Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“He played a good game. In his first start, he did some wonderful things that you can see he’s going to be special,” Sanders said at the time. “Did some things that you can see his youth.”

Lewis reclassified out of high school, skipped what would have been his senior season, and made his college debut at 17 years old. That background helps explain why Snaders keeps returning to patience even as the production keeps getting better.

Marion, on the other hand, has equally taken a similar approach. He called Lewis’ arm a “million-dollar arm” in the spring, then immediately pointed to the habits and details the young quarterback was still learning.

The test this weekend from Northwestern will be different from what we saw against Weber State, and Sanders is not letting one big afternoon change the development timeline. For now, the coach appears just as pleased wth how Lewis is developing into the job away from the field as he is with what the quarterback can already do on it.

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