In his appearance at Big 12 Media Days, Colorado QB Julian Lewis spoke about what it’s like working under his new offensive coordinator. Little did he know that his remarks would draw criticism towards Deion Sanders’ decisions last year. The misconception surrounding his statement has required a lot of damage control. Now, his father, T. Carlton Lewis, is attempting to clear his son of the misinterpretations.

“It’s wild that people twist anything,” Carlton Lewis wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on July 8. “Kid is excited about how much ball he’s learning from Coach Marion. Seeing it differently and understanding it differently.”

It is public knowledge that the Colorado Buffaloes team was woeful in the 2025 season. And the team’s offense? Even more disappointing, ranking as the second-worst offense in the Big 12. Ahead of the 2026 season, Julian Lewis spoke with ESPN on Tuesday at the Monster Energy Big 12 Football Media Days as he geared up for a better 2026 season. When asked about the possible reason for his improvement, he noted he has been studying defenses ahead of the new season.

“I’m actually looking at the defenses now. Last year, we wasn’t really looking at defenses much. Just kind of high school free-balling. Just out there playing football. But it’s a lot bigger than that now so it should be fine.”

It was the perfect opportunity for Coach Prime’s critics to attack him and question his leadership. To them, this was why the Buffaloes’ quarterback room resembled a revolving door in 2025, as there was no clear starting quarterback. Kaidon Salter, Ryan Staub, and Lewis all took turns starting games during the season. In two starts, Lewis completed 52 of 94 passes for 589 yards and four touchdowns, with a 55.3% pass completion rate.

Sanders addressed the inconsistency and eventually demoted offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur to quarterbacks coach, stripping him of his play-calling duties in November. But his doing it late into the season, when Lewis claimed all they did was “high school free-balling,” raised questions.

On the surface, it doesn’t sound like more than a young QB praising what he’s seeing from his new offensive coordinator. Coach Prime hired Brennan Marion from Sacramento State for the exact reasons that Lewis is referring to.

At the same time, it also calls into question Coach Prime’s decision to have Shurmur coach the offense last season. Sean Keeler of The Denver Post called Lewis’ comments a bad look for the Buffs’ head coach. Ryan Dyrud of LAFB took it back to Lewis’ recruitment, criticizing the QB for choosing Shurmur and Coach Prime over Lincoln Riley.

However, those within the team knew it was a harmless statement, and one of the first to respond was Deion Sanders Jr., who handles the team’s media operations. “They know good & well what JuJu meant,” Deion Sanders Jr. wrote on X. “You can hate the play calling, but Coach Shurmur taught coverages & etc Just let people hate. It’s summer time… money slow right now for everybody.”

Lewis’ spokesmen have done a good job, but a statement like this would not be forgotten so quickly. Lewis is being targeted for his immaturity and lack of coordination, while Sanders is the uneasy head who wears the crown.