How Julian Lewis' Loyalty Impacted Rodney Colton Jr.'s Colorado Commitment

True freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis' loyalty to the Colorado Buffaloes remains a critical recruiting advantage this offseason.

On both offense and defense, Colorado's newfound stability at the most important position in football has helped lock down multiple class of 2026 signees, including three-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. In a recent interview with college football reporter Arvon Bacon, Colton opened up on a conversation he and Lewis had before Colorado's late-season game against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

"JuJu talked to me about the starting spot before the West Virginia (game)," Colton told Bacon. "We talked. I was like, 'Go out there, do what you got to do. You know what you're capable of."

Colton and Lewis grew up together in the same area of Georgia, although the former attended Newnan High School and Lewis starred at Carrollton High School.

#SkoBuffs Signee Rodney Colton shares insight on he and Julian Lewis conversation pre-game vs West Virginia, and say that Lewis's long-term commitment to Colorado played a big role in his LOYALTY to @DeionSanders and Colorado.

@OssacinDucktail @baseballdriven_ @DukestheScoop https://t.co/Swy5XSK8VH pic.twitter.com/SVJX4DMK2D
— Dream Attractor (@ArvonBacon) December 27, 2025

"He (Lewis) was an outstanding player in high school, a great player in high school," Colton said. "But in high school, it's a different story than when you go to college. Everybody's four or five stars. You got to show them what you're really made out of, and the West Virginia game, he did that."

In that West Virginia game, Lewis threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns, proving himself as Colorado's quarterback of the future.

Julian Lewis' Loyalty To Colorado, Deion Sanders

Lewis, who closed his true freshman season with 589 passing yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in four games, made clear last month that he doesn't plan on leaving Boulder.

"I'm a Buff through and through," Lewis said. "I got my crib out here. All my guys are out here. I don't got no reason to go."

From afar, Colton saw enough good from Lewis to remain committed to "Coach Prime" despite Colorado's shaky 3-9 season. The Buffs are now searching for a new group of leaders, and Colton hopes to make an impact on defense.

"He's young," Colton said of Lewis. "They (threw) him out there when he was a freshman and, of course, he didn't get enough games, but it made an impact because JuJu, he's a young leader. If he's a young leader on offense, somebody's gotta be a young leader on defense, and that's gonna be me, hands down. You just gotta go in there, earn your respect and ball."

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Deion Sanders' 2026 Recruiting Class

Colton is one of 14 class of 2026 recruits who've already signed or are committed to Colorado.

Alex Ward, Athlete — Marietta, Georgia
Domata Peko Jr., Defensive Lineman — Calabasas, California
Ben Gula, Offensive Lineman — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Christian Ward, Wide Receiver — Carrollton, Georgia
Colby Johnson, Linebacker — Sammamish, Washington
Rodney Colton Jr., Linebacker — Newnan, Georgia
Maurice 'MoJo' Williams Jr., Cornerback — Edna Karr, Louisiana
Josiah Manu, Offensive Line — Loveland, Colorado
Carson Crawford, Linebacker — Carthage, Texas
Xavier Payne, Offensive Line — Jones, Florida
Preston Ashley, Defensive Back — Brandon, Mississippi
Braylon Edwards, Defensive Back — Duncanville, Texas
Xavier McDonald, Wide Receiver (Commit) — Morton, Mississippi
Joseph Peko, Defensive Lineman (Commit) — Westlake Village, California