Things can get a little tricky when family and football mix, and Colorado seems to have its fair share of that. After losing the QB1 spot, Julian Lewis has appeared less involved during games and around his teammates. His reduced presence hasn’t gone unnoticed, raising questions about whether there’s been a growing disconnect between head coach Deion Sanders and the young quarterback.

Veteran Colorado reporter Brian Howell believes the relationship between Sanders and Lewis has been strained for some time, and he thinks the root is the standard Sanders set with his own son.

“Sometimes you get a kid there, and they’re not what you thought they were,” Howell remarked on the Denver Sports podcast on October 29. “And I think Coach Prime has a very high standard on that quarterback position because of who his son was. Before last year, his quarterback was always Shedeur, which is his son, right? And he raised him.”

Howell, who has covered the Buffaloes for years, offered his read; not a statement from Sanders, but it adds an angle to the conversation. He was complimentary of Shedeur, saying he was a really good player, a really good leader, a hard worker who studied and did all of his stuff.

“That’s the standard Coach Prime has,” Howell added. “Kaidon Salter didn’t live up to it. I don’t think Julian Lewis is living up to it, and I think that bothers him, and so I think this kind of fractured last year.”

Sanders has coached Shedeur for more than a decade, from youth football and high school through Jackson State and Colorado. Howell’s argument is that after so many years with one quarterback, any successor was bound to be measured against him.

By last year, Howell meant when Salter took over after Shedeur left for the NFL Draft. Salter’s number dipped as he threw for 1,414 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions after becoming the QB1 for the Buffs. Howell believes neither he nor Lewis has met the standard Coach Prime expects after coaching Shedeur.

Howell also believes both sides may have felt stuck.

“I also think they were a little bit stuck,” he further added. “I think they gave Julian in this new age of NIL. I think there was a pretty hefty contract, and I’m not sure either side could get out of it, so maybe they were a little, they felt a little stuck, for this year.”

The contract is Howell’s speculation, since no figures have been reported.

Lewis began this season with a lot of promise but gradually lost his place as Colorado’s starting quarterback. He had an excellent game against Weber State, completing 17 of his 23 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. Colorado won that game 52-21. As the season progressed, Colorado’s offense struggled, and Lewis wasn’t able to maintain the same level of production. 

Across four appearances, he completed 61 out of 95 passes (64.2%), throwing for 733 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions. During Colorado’s 23-13 loss to Baylor on September 26, Lewis lost the QB1 role. Since then, his participation with the team has decreased.

It was particularly reflected during the third quarter against Utah, when running back DeKalon Taylor scored an 18-yard touchdown, giving Colorado a 14-13 lead. The players celebrated the touchdown together. However, Lewis appeared to stay away from the celebration instead of joining his teammates. This gave rise to a question already lingering: did benching Juju cause this disconnect?

However, from Howell’s perspective, this was never the reason. Coaches recruit athletes expecting them to be a certain kind of athlete, only to realise after they join the team that they don’t quite match those expectations.