Julian Lewis finally got his shot this season against West Virginia. But just when he wanted one more ride to wrap up his freshman campaign, Deion Sanders slammed the brakes and played the long game. He’s benching his 5-star freshman in the season finale so he can preserve his redshirt. 

“Coach Prime is going to redshirt Julian Lewis. Kaidon Salter to start for Colorado vs. Kansas State,” Jake Schwanitz reported on X on November 25. 

The DNVR Buffs beat reporter and host also included Deion Sanders’ comments around this decision.

“I made a decision that Juju is going to redshirt,” Deion Sanders said. “That is my decision. I want what’s best for the kid, his family, this wonderful university. I think for the program it’s best for everyone, but mainly it’s great for him. I’m not going to say he was happy. Kaidon Salter will start this week, Staub will be the backup. Julian wants to play, he wants to compete and I love him for it.”

Deion Sanders is trading short-term momentum for long-term firepower, a decision fans either call genius or reckless. So he is making a sacrifice by shelving Julian Lewis for the final game strictly to protect his redshirt. It officially ends his freshman season, even though he looked ready to run the show. But the move isn’t about November, it’s about 2026 and beyond.

Julian Lewis arrived as a 5-star 2025 recruit, and this redshirt move preserves a full four years of eligibility. Add ongoing NCAA litigation that could reshape eligibility rules, and the coach is positioning his QB to be in the program long-term. Colorado is limping in at 3-8, already eliminated from bowl play, making this the only game that could be sacrificed without consequences. Lewis flashed legitimate upside with 589 passing yards, four touchdowns, zero interceptions, and starts after Kaidon Salter’s skid. Now Salter gets his job back for Kansas State, with Ryan Staub waiting behind him.

After four straight losses and another season slipping off the rails, Deion Sanders has already hinted at sweeping offseason changes. Redshirting Julian Lewis is the first unmistakable sign that Colorado is shifting from patchwork and portal gambles to development, stability, and roster-building patience. This is the clearest pivot yet toward Year 4 of the Prime era and fans immediately connected it to one thing. JuJu’s future. Because whenever Coach Prime makes a sacrifice like that, Colorado fans get loud with speculation.

Colorado nation activates panic mode on Julian Lewis’ news

Fans think this redshirt feels less like protection and more like a runway to leave. “Uh, does this mean he’s portal bound Jake?” one skeptical fan commented. They’re reading between every syllable Deion Sanders says. And in Boulder, paranoia spreads fast especially in a losing season.

The next comment is irony at its finest. “Hope this doesn’t backfire and cause Juju it enter the transfer portal,” another person wrote. Supporters fear Colorado just benched the future to protect the future. This reaction speaks for every fan holding their breath until December.

Some believe this is self-sabotage. As this fan wrote, “Say hello to the portal. He is gone…another terrible decision.” To them, Deion Sanders is playing chess while losing checkers.

Some fans think Julian Lewis was sold a dream and woke up in a rebuild. “Fertilizer… Kid’s leaving Boulder, as fast as he arrived..  I wouldn’t disagree, he’s been sold a bill of goods.. deserves to go where he’ll be developed.. and made to hit the weight room..” another wrote. They believe the redshirt is the final nudge out the door.

Meanwhile some fans connect the dots. “Means he’s leaving and wants to keep the extra year. Likely means Sanders is out the door too,” they commented. And if the star freshman is wobbling, they fear that signals deeper instability. Maybe even the HC leaving. It reflects panic, distrust, and the emotional exhaustion of a fanbase tired of roster blunder.

In this portal-driven landscape, no young QB is guaranteed to stay put. But Julian Lewis tried to shut down rumors after the ASU game saying he’s “a Buff through and through” and that he “don’t got no reason to go.” His comments present a counterweight to the portal panic.

Also, AD Rick George issued a public vote of confidence in Deion Sanders. The AD will step down in 2026 but insists his HC is not on the hot seat. That messaging re-centers the narrative on continuity, not crisis. Both statements push the storyline toward internal development and rebuilding. Redshirting Julian Lewis fits perfectly into that larger identity shift.