Deion Sanders is recognized for his tough love approach. Coach Prime rolled out the red carpet to land Carrollton High star Julian Lewis. But he now puts Lewis on edge to pick up his game and is dialing up the urgency by inviting another quarterback into the Boulder mix. Yes, the Colorado doors are now swinging open for Caden Pinnick.

“Sources tell me UC Davis QB Caden Pinnick (who’s entered the transfer portal) just finished his visit at Colorado,” reported KCRA News anchor Michelle Dapper. “Told be needs to make a decision asap @kcranews.”

UC Davis Aggies redshirt freshman Pinnick capped off a breakout season by being named Big Sky Freshman of the Year. Already a Jerry Rice Award finalist, Pinnick became the first Aggie to earn the honor since 2019.

The Aggies’ signal-caller closed the season as one of the Big Sky’s elite, piling up 3,206 passing yards and 32 touchdowns while earning 437 rushing yards in total. He completed 69.57% of his throws with an 86.20 efficiency rating in passing. 

“Grateful for the journey so far,” he wrote in an Instagram post on the first day of the transfer portal. “After a lot of thought and conversations with my family, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal.”

Now that he has made a trip to Boulder, it calls for a comparison with Lewis. Kaidon Salter has declared for the NFL Draft, and Colorado backup quarterback Ryan Staub has entered the NCAA transfer portal. So, Deion’s quarterback room is now left with Lewis. 

He wrapped up his 2025 chapter with 589 yards and four touchdowns in four games played. Last season, Lewis saw limited action. Coach Prime hit the reset button at the quarterback position. Liberty Flames transfer Salter was benched, but the keys didn’t go to five-star Julian “JuJu” Lewis. 

Instead, the backup quarterback, Staub, got the nod to start against the Houston Cougars. Lewis saw action versus Delaware, completing only 8 yards. But Staub did enough to lock down the Week 3 start against the Cougars, coming off with 158 yards and two touchdowns. 

It was pretty late in the season, in November, that Lewis made his first start against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Lewis held his own in start No. 1, finishing 22-of-35 for 299 yards and two touchdowns. 

But maybe that single game is not enough to give Lewis enough assurance with another quarterback sniffing around. 

Pinnick was in complete command, accounting for four touchdowns-three through the air and one on the ground to lift UC Davis to a 28-14 win over Idaho. 

The quarterback later tossed for 306 yards and two touchdowns as UC Davis made a late goal-line stand at its own 27 to seal a thrilling 31-27 win over Sacramento State in the 71st Causeway Classic.

Colorado’s growing interest in Pinnick has put Lewis in a complicated spot.

Deion Sanders has ambitious plans for Julian Lewis

Deion planned to sit Lewis out for the season finale against the Kansas State Wildcats. But this time, he had his plans. Coach Prime wanted to preserve the quarterback’s redshirt.

“Now he gets another year, so you’re not burning that from him, which is the best thing for the young man,” the head coach dropped the justification behind the Lewis move. “I just want him to have that option.”

However, this invited panic among the fans. They feared that this move would prompt Lewis to test the waters elsewhere and thereby trigger a transfer to the transfer portal. But the quarterback doubled down on his Colorado commitment with a post on X, sharing a smiling photo and embracing the chaos of transfer portal season.

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This came at a time when the protection around Lewis kept leaking. Colorado wide receiver Omarion Miller had hit the transfer portal. He emerged as the offense’s top weapon, hauling in three of Lewis’ four touchdown passes and finishing fifth in the Big 12 with 808 receiving yards.

Julian Lewis heads into the 2026 season without his usual blockers in front of him. Coach Prime just cranked up the heat for his favorite JuJu, signaling interest in Caden Pinnick. It’s time to see how JuJu proves himself.