Julian Lewis Proves Dedication To Colorado In Emotional Postgame Display

Although his play under center was hardly to blame, true freshman quarterback Julian "JuJu" Lewis took the Colorado Buffaloes' narrow loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday particularly hard.

Well Off Media's Deion Sanders Jr., the oldest son of coach Deion Sanders, revealed in a social media video that Lewis cried in the locker room after losing his first college start, 29-22. The 18-year-old Lewis performed well with nearly 300 passing yards, but his dedication to the program's overall success was made clear during and after the game.

"Shoutout to JuJu because JuJu was in the locker room; I just want y'all to know, y'all's quarterback right now in the locker room, was just crying his (expletive) off, crying, saying sorry because we lost. He put himself on the line, bro," Sanders Jr. said. "His heart's on the line. This means something to him. I said, 'Thank you. Thank you for caring, bro. Thank you for caring.' I love seeing that."

Julian Lewis Impresses In First College Start

Julian Lewis Proves Dedication Colorado Emotional Postgame Moment Deion Sanders Buffaloes West Virginia Starting Quarterback — 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

Despite the loss, Colorado fans should feel better about the program's trajectory after watching Lewis throw for 299 yards (22-of-35 passing) and two touchdowns on the road in Morgantown. The former five-star prospect received little help from his offensive line and run game but still managed to give the Buffs a fighting chance in the fourth quarter.

"The past couple of beatdowns we've had, it looked like we'd given up and (didn't) want it as bad," Lewis said, per BuffsTV. "But I think you could tell how bad we wanted this one. This is going to hurt on the way home, of course, but we'll recoup, regather, and get ready for the next week."

Looking Toward Colorado's Final Two Games

Lewis, who overtook veteran Kaidon Salter for the Buffs' starting quarterback job, is expected to remain under center for Colorado's final two games against the Arizona State Sun Devils and Kansas State Wildcats. The Buffs are currently heading into their second bye week, which should help the offensive line, including left tackle Jordan Seaton, get healthy.

After Saturday's loss, Lewis said he plans on staying in Boulder to prep for his next start against Arizona State on Nov. 22.

"I'm not going home or anything like that," Lewis said. "I'm gonna sit in the facility, watch film, try to grow and get better. I'll try to keep all the receivers back out there so we can keep building that connection and get ready for next year."

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While Arizona State is a more difficult opponent than West Virginia, an extra week of prep and a potentially healthier offensive line could result in another strong performance from Lewis. The 6-3 (4-2 Big 12) Sun Devils enjoyed a Week 11 bye and will next host those same Mountaineers on Nov. 15 before coming to Boulder the following weekend.