Deion Sanders is rarely short on words, which made his answer on Tuesday stand out. When asked whether former five-star quarterback Julian Lewis will get another chance this season, he gave an unclear response. With Colorado sitting at 2-5, the quarterback spot has become a weekly storyline, and Sanders chose to leave most of it unsaid.
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“I’m so honest that honesty gets you in trouble… I don’t wanna go there, you guys do your homework,” said Sanders when asked if Lewis was still fighting for the starting job, per DNVR reporter Jake Schwanitz on X.
When Sanders was asked if Lewis could get another shot at quarterback this season, Coach Prime said:
“That’s on him. I don’t play games with young men in their careers and hate on folks. If anything, I’m too forgiving and very kind. I don’t play those games with kids. You have to always understand that we may know a little more than you do. We understand what happens, what goes on, what clicks, what doesn’t, and what fits. We get that.”
He also gave a reason for holding back a clear-cut yes or no answer.
“If I answer that, you may say I’m taking a shot at the kid,” Sanders said. “I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole.”
So the coach is not naming a starter, and he is also refusing to judge how hard Lewis is competing. Those are two different silences, and both leave plenty of room for guessing.
Now here is what we know. Lewis started the season as Colorado’s quarterback and was pulled during the Big 12 opener against Baylor at halftime. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 75 yards in the first half, which works out to just 4.7 yards per attempt. Next, he was benched, and Isaac Wilson took over.
Against Texas Tech on October 3, Wilson completed 26 of 44 passes for 290 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, and he led the team with 42 rushing yards. That night, Sanders declined to explain why Lewis did not play, saying he did not want to criticize the young quarterback.
“JuJu didn’t play today. I’m not going to badger the kid or say nothing derogatory for the kid,” Sanders said in the postgame presser, though he did speak about the role.
“We have three options there; somebody just has to grab a hold of it and get it done,” said Sanders.
Last week on Saturday, Colorado lost 57-24 at Oklahoma State. The Buffaloes led 24-23 at halftime, with Wilson throwing for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and adding a rushing score.
Then he fumbled on a keeper on the first play of the third quarter. Oklahoma State recovered the fumble and returned it to Colorado’s 13, then scored two plays later. They went on to win the second half 34-0. Colorado managed just 120 yards of offense after the break.
None of that shows Lewis would have done better, though; it does explain why the question keeps coming up. A team that is 2-5 and has lost five straight conference games will be asked about every option it has, and Sanders has not closed any of them.
The next test comes Saturday, October 31, when Kansas State visits Folsom Field in Boulder. So far, Wilson is expected to start, with true freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne behind him.