Despite having little at stake in Saturday’s season finale against Kansas State, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders has decided to sit freshman quarterback Julian Lewis. The former five-star has already appeared in four games, and one more would cost him an extra year of eligibility. Speaking about the same, Sanders also outlined the long-term freshman plan for Lewis.

“Now he gets another year, so you’re not burning that from him, which is the best thing for the young man,” said Sanders during this week’s episode of Coach Prime’s Playbook. “I just want him to have that option.”

While Lewis might be tempted to burn his freshman year by playing in the last three games as Colorado’s starting QB, the Buffs’ HC knows his potential. Despite posting 589 yards and four touchdowns in limited time, Sanders said the priority was preserving Lewis’ future. And on that, he stressed, he made the call himself.

“It’s not something that they (Lewis and his family) came to me and said, ‘Hey, coach, what do you think?'” stated Sanders. “No, no. I went to them because he’s a baller, he wants to play. He wants to compete; he wants to be involved. But what’s best for he and his family is to retain that extra year.”

This decision means that in the season finale, Kaidon Salter will start, with Ryan Staub as his backup.

Now, limiting Lewis to four outings preserves all four seasons of eligibility for a quarterback Sanders sees as key to Colorado’s long-term plans. And with the NCAA still battling over potential eligibility reforms, the decision effectively secures Lewis’ future in Boulder instead of treating him as a short-term project.

It’s a departure from how Colorado has handled the position in the Sanders era, when the Buffaloes turned to the portal for Shedeur Sanders and, this year, for Salter from Liberty.

Also, Lewis’ outing against West Virginia was the one moment that truly hinted at what he might become, but the rest of his snaps have shown how raw he still is. In the games against Arizona State and Arizona, he often looked unsure of himself, rushing throws and overlooking receivers who had found space.

With how unstable the offensive line has been, he’s rarely getting a clean chance to operate, and putting him through this every week could end up doing more harm than good as he tries to develop. That is why the freshman accepted the HC’s decision with respect and maturity.

“He (Lewis) took it well. He wants to play, believe me, he wants to play, but I told him I didn’t want him to feel like he was letting his teammates down,” said Coach Prime. “No, you’re not tapping out. You’re not shutting it down. No, no, this is on me. I got to look out for what’s best for you and what’s best for this program.”

But it’s not just for Lewis; the Buffs’ HC also shows care for CU players who see their future beyond football if they don’t make it to the NFL.

The Colorado HC cares for CU players

Deion Sanders’ care for his players, even amid their personal struggles, is nothing new. Take former Colorado WR Jimmy Horn Jr.’s case, for example. On his Senior Day, Sanders walked the WR onto the field as a father figure, stepping in because Horn Jr.’s father was incarcerated. Besides, when Colorado lost to ASU, he took full blame and did not allow his players to speak to the media.

“Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me,” stated the Buffs coach, showing his protective nature and his responsibility as a head coach toward his players.

And now he’s proven that his care isn’t limited to players chasing a pro future. Even those who dream of becoming a fireman get his full support.

“Because they chose us. They’ve given us everything they could possibly give us. And I asked them, you know, guys that may not certainly go pro, what you want to do with your life. And then you told me, ‘I want to be a fireman,'” Sanders told CBS Colorado’s Romi Bean.

“All right. We’re going to hook it up. We’re gonna make it happen. So only one guy they came for. But he ended up—eight guys had interest. So they met with all of them individually and created a plan. And they’re going to enhance that plan and get the opportunity to be fireman.”

While players like Julian Lewis at Colorado show their loyalty, the HC and his staff do everything they can to retain them. From financial support to mental well-being, Deion cares about it all when it comes to his players.