The 2025 season has indeed offered a rough experience for Deion Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes. It has been seven months since Shedeur Sandders took the NFL leap, but Deion and co. are still finding the rhythm in the quarterback position. But that’s not how they must have envisioned things to turn out for his favorite Julian Lewis. Playing two games this season, the quarterback racked up 129 yards and one touchdown. And now he has been gifted with another woe, an injury. But Deion seems confident about counting on his favorite JuJu and big news awaits the young chap.

The former Carrollton High star is yet to prove himself in the Boulder camp. The proving part can wait; as of now, he needs to be fit. On November 4, Jake Schwanitz tweeted Deion’s take on X. It read, “Coach Prime on the decision to start Julian Lewis this week “Common sense.” Coach Prime says his hand injury from Saturday is nothing to worry about. “He’s good. He’s throwing the heck out of the ball.”

Colorado got blasted by Arizona on Saturday, 52-17, on November 1. Not just this, while going back with a win, they also gifted Lewis a hand injury. But before that, he seemingly showed enough against the Wildcats to win Deion’s trust to start for the coming weekend. Kaidon Salter got the start Saturday but didn’t make it to halftime.

After going 11-of-15 for 49 yards with a touchdown and a pick, Deion eventually handed the reins to Lewis, who responded with 121 yards and a score on 9-of-17 passing. He was part of the 2025 recruiting class and was the sixth-best quarterback recruit in the country, per 247Sports composite rankings. So, maybe Deion wants to give Lewis chance to prove himself more. After all, the young chap has shown sparks against Arizona. 

Colorado opened flat with a three-and-out. Things started to turn awry as after that, Salter was stripped on a sack, setting up an Arizona touchdown just one play later. Even though he steadied his sails with an eight-yard strike to Omarion Miller, two costly turnovers followed. Ryan Staub stepped in, but with him came two interceptions on his first two pass attempts. 

Then came Lewis’ turn, and he left no stone unturned. The true freshman scrambled for 15 yards on 3rd and 11, and two plays later, he delivered a dot to Miller for a 59-yard touchdown. In the Boulder camp, Lewis is lucky to get Deion as head coach, who is as stern and caring as a father.

Deion Sanders’ soft corner for Julian Lewis exposed the head coach’s fatherly side

From appointing 101-year-old Miss Peggy to woo him, to naming Boulder’s favorite joint’s burger after him, Deion did it all to flip Lewis from USC. However, just like a father, the Buffs head coach knows when to tighten the reins. There was a time when Salter struggled against Georgia Tech, but even then, Deion kept Lewis benched. Very much like a protective dad.

After all, Coach Prime felt Lewis needed time to acclimate himself to the college football environment and playing when the stadium has a sellout crowd. So, he gave the green signal just when he found that the timing was right. In a latest presser, here came Deion’s protective side for Lewis and co. 

“I have a fatherly spirit. And I have an overseer spirit. I’m trying to shield my guys from certain things that may harm them. I know the temperature of the room. I know if they can’t handle this at this time…so my job is to protect them and put an umbrella around them until I feel like they’re ready for the attacks and the assaults,” said Deion. 

Just like an ideal figure in the Buffs camp, Coach Prime stands like a rock. Even though Lewis did enough against Arizona, his mates faltered. But the head coach did not drag his players through the mud. Instead, he himself took the blame. “Don’t attack the coordinators. Come at me. Don’t attack the players. Come at me. This is me. It has nothing to do with none of them. It has everything to do with me,” pleaded the Buffs head coach. 

Well, looks like not just the head coach, even the analysts are extra protective about their Julian “JuJu” Lewis. As Buffs reporter Scott Procter placed his demand, “It has to be priority number one: getting a creative OC, young, old, experienced, or inexperienced, but a creative OC who can gel and grow with Julian Lewis.” Coach Prime once rolled out the red carpet for Lewis. How far can he go this time?