How Brennan Marion Plans on Bringing Versatility to Colorado's Offense

If recent history holds any indications, new Colorado Buffaloes offensive coordinator Brennan Marion shouldn't have any trouble maximizing quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis' abilities.

Lewis may not hold the same running abilities compared to previous quarterbacks Marion has worked with, but the former Sacramento State coach confirmed that his unique "Go-Go" offense doesn't necessarily require a dual-threat quarterback. Instead, his system prides itself on allowing a wide range of playmakers chances to get the ball in their hands.

Brennan Marion Plans Utilizing Julian Lewis Colorado Offense Buffaloes Coordinator Quarterback Jayden Maiava Deion Sanders CU — Nov 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Julian Lewis (10) runs out of the pocket during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

"For us, the quarterback doesn't have to run at all," Marion said in an interview with Phillip Dukes.

Not including yards lost on sacks, Lewis gained 57 yards on 24 rushing attempts in four games as a true freshman last season. With his arm, the former five-star prospect completed 52 of his 94 passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns.

Lewis is expected to enter next season as Colorado's starting quarterback, with Utah transfer Isaac Wilson and incoming freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne serving as backups.

Brennan Marion Talks Offensive Approach

For those unfamiliar with Marion's offensive approach, the quote below should get Colorado's playmakers excited about what's to come.

"That's the unique thing about our offense, where one guy doesn't dominate the ball," Marion told Dukes. "Multiple guys get a chance to operate, touch the ball, make plays and have an impact on the game. The other thing is how we practice. The way we practice, I always tell people that we have a Friday night offense, we have a Saturday at noon kickoff offense, and we have a Sunday NFL dropback. We can play that game with you as well."

Elevating. 🏔️

Colorado Football welcomes Brennan Marion to Boulder as Offensive Coordinator.#GoGoBuffs https://t.co/1zrztQqCJ0 pic.twitter.com/5FWnZqhAj6
— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) December 5, 2025

In his first year as UNLV's offensive coordinator in 2023, Marion helped quarterback Jayden Maiava, who's now at USC, throw for 3,085 yards, 17 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Rebels averaged 34.4 points, 239.2 passing yards and 173.5 rushing yards per game that season.

Marion noted in the podcast that Maiava's numbers at UNLV were similar to what he produced at USC last season.

"It's the same quarterback in 2023 who led us to the conference championship as a freshman; he's now the starting quarterback at USC. He had the same numbers this year as he did as a freshman at UNLV."

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Bringing Talent to Light

Colorado's offense will enter next season with ample pieces to work with, and Marion plans on bringing that talent to light with his everyone-eats approach.

"We don't hoard our talent, we use our talent," Marion said. "We will use all of our personnel groupings. We're going to put multiple people on the field. We're going to present the same looks with the same people and then bring an extra lineman in, put a receiver in the backfield."

Former Sacramento State standouts who followed Marion to Boulder include wide receiver Ernest Campbell, offensive lineman Jose Soto and running backs Damian Henderson II and Jaquail Smith.