Why Omarion Miller is Key to Julian Lewis' Future with Colorado

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Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Omarion Miller finished off his 2025 season with a bang. The junior wideout had seven receptions for 120 yards in the Buffaloes 24-14 loss on the road to the Kansas State Wildcats.
As a junior, Miller could declare for the NFL Draft. He could also enter the transfer portal after Colorado's disappointing season, but his breakout year showed how valuable he can be to a young quarterback like Buffs signal-caller Julian Lewis.
Lewis flashed when given the opportunity to late in the season, potentially giving Miller a stronger reason to return to Boulder.
Omarion Miller Jumps in Impact Rankings

Miller’s seven catches and 120 receiving yards against Kansas State made him the fourth-highest riser in Clark Brooks’s Impact Rankings. He went from being the No. 51 wide receiver to No. 36. He came into the week ranked outside the top 300 overall players but moved to No. 296.
“The former top 50 wide receiver prospect in the 2023 class might have had a slow start this fall, but he’s found nice production the last month…Saturday saw his highest workload where he was targeted 12 times for seven catches for a buck-twenty,” Brooks said. “Along with the sturdy counting stats, Miller has been efficient. His 2.57 yards per route run is top 25 among power four wideouts.”

Colorado’s season is finished as they will not be in a bowl game with their 3-9 record. Miller’s final stats from the season are 44 receptions for 807 yards and eight touchdowns. This was a bounce back year for Miller, who missed the majority of 2024 due to injury.
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Other High Risers in Impact Rankings

The three players that Brooks listed as higher risers than Miller were Florida Gators running back Jadan Baugh, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning, and Illinois Fighting Illini safety Miles Scott.
The biggest riser of the week was Baugh. Baugh had an incredible game in Florida’s rivalry win over Florida State. He had 38 carries for 266 yards and two touchdowns. Baugh went from being ranked the No. 16 running back to No. 10. He also jumped from being the No. 204 overall player to No. 102.
The second highest riser was Manning. In Texas’s win over Texas A&M, he had 253 total yards and two touchdowns. Manning went from quarterback No. 20 to quarterback No. 5 and overall player No. 178 to No. 55.
The third highest riser was Scott, who locked down Northwestern’s pass catchers in the Illini’s win over the weekend. He defended four passes and had two interceptions to ice the game for Illinois.
Buffaloes Season Comes to a Close

It was a very forgettable football season in Boulder this season. In year three with Colorado, coach Deion Sanders had his fewest wins at 3-9. For the second time in three years there will be no bowl game for the Buffs.
A big issue throughout the season was the inconsistency at the quarterback position. The Buffaloes hope that freshman quarterback Julian Lewis will be able to be the starter next season as a sophomore, as he did show promise in 2025 when he got his chance.

Cory Pappas is sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Oregon Ducks On SI. Since starting in March of 2024, he has been writing breaking news stories, game previews, game recaps, and more across College Sports, the NFL, MLB, NBA, and Olympics for Total Apex Sports. In addition to writing, Cory is also a sports data scout for Sportradar. He covers live sporting events ranging from college athletics to semi-pro and professional. Before joining the industry, Cory graduated from the University of Oregon in 2022. He ran track for Oregon's club Track and Field team. Before Oregon, he played varsity basketball and track and field in high school in Walnut Creek, CA. Cory is using his lifelong passion for sports and writing together.
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