Buffs Beat

Florida State Seminoles Copy Colorado Buffaloes, Shedeur Sanders Recruiting Photo

The Florida State Seminoles are imitating the Colorado Buffaloes when it comes to quarterback recruiting. When Colorado was recruiting five-star? quarterback Julian Lewis, former Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders handed the "keys to the program" in a photoshoot, and it looks like the Seminoles are taking similar photos.
Charlie Viehl|
Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
Sep 28, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the game between the Southern Methodist Mustangs and the Florida State Seminoles at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Colorado BuffaloesFlorida State SeminolesCleveland Browns

The Florida State Seminoles appear to be taking a page from the Colorado Buffaloes and coach Deion Sanders' recruiting playbook.

Florida State coach Mike Norvell and his staff landed a commitment from four-star quarterback recruit Jaden O'Neal on June 22, and a photo of current Florida State quarterback Thomas Castellanos handing O'Neal the "keys to the program" has since gone viral. However, as many have pointed out, the photo op between O'Neal and Castellanos is not necessarily an original idea.

When Colorado was recruiting four-star quarterback recruit Julian Lewis in the class of 2025, current Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback and former Buffaloes star Shedeur Sanders took a a similar photo with Lewis. In the photo, Sanders hands a set of keys to Lewis, sitting on a gold and black throne.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders laughs as he watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nugget
Jan 14, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders laughs as he watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets during the second half at the American Airlines Center. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

No matter who had the original idea, it seems as though this style of photoshoot for quarterback recruits is a rather useful recruiting tool for college programs.

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The photo of Castellanos and O'Neal was taken on O'Neal's visit to Florida State. A few days after his trip, the quarterback recruit decommitted from the Oklahoma Sooners and quickly flipped to the Seminoles.

Similarly, Lewis took his photo with Sanders on a visit to Colorado while Lewis was still committed to the USC Trojans. It took some more time for the Buffaloes to flip Lewis away from USC, but Lewis eventually decommitted from USC before flipping to "Coach Prime" and Colorado in November of 2024.

Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) watches on from the sidelines against the Westlake Lions
Oct 20, 2023; Carrollton, GA, USA; Carrollton Trojans quarterback Julian Lewis (10) watches on from the sidelines against the Westlake Lions during the first half at Grisham Stadium. The 15-year-old Carrollton High student has already committed to playing for the University of Southern California Trojans and has been considered one of the top high school quarterback prospects. | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Although Sanders and Lewis did not overlap at Colorado, the newest Buffaloes quarterback still has a relationship with the Cleveland Browns rookie. Lewis enrolled early at Colorado in December, and he spoke to reporters about some of his conversations with Sanders after a spring practice for the Buffaloes:

"It's definitely a blessing for me to have a guy like him. Me and Shedeur talked about it. We kind of came in different paths, like I didn't start off at [Jackson State] and all of that stuff. But just looking at it from another black quarterback is always good to hear from, even the older guys that have retired. Just understanding their path, it's humbling," said Lewis.

As one of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2026, Lewis is expected to be the signal-caller of the future for the Buffaloes. Although Sanders might have handed him the keys to the program for a recruiting photoshoot, Lewis might spend 2025 as the backup quarterback at Colorado.

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the spring game at Folsom Field.
Apr 19, 2025; Boulder, CO, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders before the spring game at Folsom Field. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

"Coach Prime" has a quarterback competition on his hands with Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and Lewis vying for the starting job. Many expect Salter, the more experienced player, to get the nod.

Only time will tell, as Lewis, Salter and the Buffaloes begin their season against Georgia Tech on Aug. 29.

Published
Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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