Well, by now you must be aware of how special 5-star Julian Lewis is to Deion Sanders’ fam. Not every player is as lucky to get the red-carpet treatment as Lewis did. After all, not every recruit gets a personal shoutout from Buffs’ superfan, Miss Peggy Coppom. And if you’re looking for a burger named after a Buffs star at The Sink, you’re only gonna find one: the ‘JuJu’s Precision Pass Burger.’ 

At the same time, we also know how the Buffs’ dual threat, Travis Hunter, is also dear to Deion and Co. Maybe the Buffs regret how the two-way star once suffered a poor fate back in 2023 while playing for Colorado to this date. September 16 is the day that is going to be forever etched in the memory of the Buffs fans.

No, not for anything good; rather, it was a day of blunder. Hunter had to exit the game against Colorado State and was immediately rushed to the hospital. Deion’s dual-threat suffered a lacerated liver and was out of the game for around three weeks. But how did that unfortunate event transpire?

Hunter got an illegal hit from the Rams’ safety, Henry Blackburn, that occurred midway through the first quarter. Even though the Buffs came with a 43-35 double-overtime win over Colorado State, it exposed Deion’s army’s lack of depth that left gaps in coverage. But looks like the Buffs HC has learned from his mistakes. Definitely, Coach Prime does not want such a mishap to be repeated with Lewis. For that, Coach Prime has taken early prep by landing a 225-pound beast. 

Fortifying his squad, Deion Sanders’ Colorado has landed the standout linebacker from UTSA, Martavius French. The former Tennessee Volunteers linebacker, French, announced his transfer to Colorado on Sunday, January 5. This marked the 15th transfer to join the Buffs fam and has been indeed a special one. After all, French comes after an impressive tenure at UTSA, wherein in the 2024 season he led the Roadrunners in tackle. Plus, he carries an impressive resume enough to woo Deion. 

The young chap recorded a team-high 80 tackles and added one sack. To top that, the recruit showcased his durability and playmaking ability by playing 634 defensive snaps. Before UTSA, French made a name for himself at Hutchinson Community College. His stats back in 2021 were tallying 60 tackles, six tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks. But do you know it is because of his stint in this community college that enabled him to transfer to Colorado?

In December, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavis won an injunction against the NCAA asking for an extra year of eligibility, saying his JuCo years shouldn’t count toward the NCAA’s eligibility rules. Soon it was clear that other athletes with similar career records would also retain all 4 years of NCAA eligibility even if they play a year or two of JUCO. Martavius reaped the benefit of this ruling as he was granted an extra year of eligibility. Guess what? French probably have some favoritism for Deion Sanders. Read this.

As told by French’s agent Austin Pfenninger of JL Sports to On3, “WVU and UNC made a big push for him but he loves Deion and actually took less money to go there than some of the other offers.” Sounds crazy? Not really. Who won’t be mesmerized by the Deion Sanders aura? So was this youngster.

“He really trusted Coach Sanders and the rest of the staff and they recruited him the hardest as an entire staff compared to the others. He likes that Deion played the game at the highest level and that built a lot of credibility and trust that he can get Martavius there,” Pfenninger noted. So now you know that Lewis will be in good hands, as French would bring the missing depth in the defensive line. Meanwhile, can we expect some reciprocation from Lewis? 

Is Julian Lewis ready to carry the torch?

Absolutely! Things are already a bit sensitive in Deion’s Colorado. After all, that man will have to endure a triple loss, coming at the same time. Coach Prime’s sons, QB Shedeur Sanders and safety Shilo Sanders, along with his dual-threat Hunter, will be off to the NFL, leaving Deion’s nest empty. Thank god! The Buffs HC have found a new purpose. Lewis is surely going to keep Coach Prime busy. The 5-star himself dreams big in Boulder.

You know you have landed a gem when the recruit too is eager to go that extra mile. Last month, in December, the Buffs HC poured his heart out after walking his sons down the field for the last time in Boulder. He got way too emotional and shared, “That’s tough, to know that that’s it, that that walk won’t happen again. That’s tough. We’ve been doing this for a long time.” The confession did strike a chord with Lewis, who couldn’t afford to see his Coach Prime unhappy.

So, he then came up with a promise. On December 29, Julian Lewis tweeted a picture of the Buffs locker room. The snap showed Shedeur’s No.2 jersey and Lewis’ No.10 jersey hanging side by side. Meanwhile, the caption would leave any Buffs fans with happy tears. The 5-star recruit wrote, “You left huge shoes to fill, but I promise to work to leave @CUBuffsFootball even better than I found it. Forever grateful 🙏🏽.”

Since Lewis would need some time to acclimatize himself in college, Coach Prime has signed up the Liberty Flames transfer Kaidon Salter. He started 29 games for the Flames and earned Conference USA MVP honors in 2023 and will be the ideal mentor for Lewis in Shedeur’s absence. Deion Sanders is stacking the deck for Lewis, and maybe even for the whole Buffs team. He’s got a ‘mentor’ QB, a monster 225-pound linebacker, and a loaded offensive line with guys like Zarian McGill and Carde Smith. It looks like Coach Prime is building a squad that can finally deliver!