Deion Sanders Reveals What Makes Colorado Quarterback Julian Lewis Different

Julian "JuJu" Lewis' second career start against the Arizona State Sun Devils will reveal plenty more, but the former five-star prospect is developing into the quarterback the Colorado Buffaloes envisioned when he signed last year.

After throwing for 299 yards and two touchdowns agains the West Virginia Mountaineers last time out, Lewis is now preparing for the Sun Devils, who should provide a greater challenge. Still, coach Deion Sanders is expecting a crisper Lewis coming off a valuable bye week.

Ahead of Saturday's matchup against ASU, Sanders spoke on an "intangible" that makes Lewis stand out and could lead to a successful offseason on the recruiting trail.

Deion Sanders Julian Lewis Stand Out Colorado Quarterback Buffaloes Coach Prime Arizona State Shedeur Big 12 Football Boulder — Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks along the sidelines late in the fourth quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

"He has that intangible that he makes other guys want to play with him and want to compete as such," Sanders said on this week's "Colorado Football Coaches Show." "Now they (receivers) know, if I get a step, that ball is gonna be there."

Lewis showcased his accuracy on a few deep balls and crossing routes against West Virginia, finishing his first college start with three completions of 30 yards or more. Wide receivers Omarion Miller and Joseph Williams each caught a touchdown and should be key for Lewis to find success again on Saturday.

Deion Sanders' Expectations For Julian Lewis' Start vs. Arizona State

While speaking with the media earlier this week, "Coach Prime" opened up on the growth he has seen from Lewis over the bye week and heading into Colorado's Week 13 matchup on Saturday.

"Now you've gotten out there, you're seeing how it is, you got the lay of the land," Sanders said. "Some of the mistakes you made, we don't expect you to make those again because now you understand what we want. You got game action, you got live action. You understand where the blitz is coming from, what they're going to do to you. We got packages for that. We got things implemented in those calls. When you feel heat, let's get out of it and let's go to something else."

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Sanders added that Lewis is beginning to learn more about the intricacies of the game and adjusting to what he sees from the opposing defense. Again, Arizona State is a greater challenge than West Virginia, but "Coach Prime" hopes to see some growth from his freshman quarterback.

"This kid is starting to understand the game a lot more, mentally, psychologically," Sanders said. "His physical tools are, it is what it is, he has it. But really understanding the game and how it's played from the defensive coordinators to our coordinators to the personnel that he has around him."

Lewis and the Buffs will kick things off against Arizona State on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT (ESPN2).