Memorial Day in Boulder was pure chaos. The 45th annual Bolder Boulder 10K had streets packed with over 50,000 racers, bringing most of the city to a standstill. Yet, inside Colorado’s football facility, one freshman quarterback wasn’t taking the day off. Julian Lewis, the 17-year-old phenom and newest face of the Colorado Buffaloes’ rebuild, clocked in. With the city on holiday, Lewis was grinding out reps, pushing iron, and driving his point across the FBS—he’s not here for the glitz; he’s here for the grind. But can a freshman truly win over a seasoned starter?

The incoming freshman was seen in the weight room doing explosive sets of trap-bar deadlifts. 375 pounds (six plates) for reps, including a 44-pound bar. At 17, that kind of work ethic and output doesn’t just hint at future greatness—it demands attention. This is the opposite of the “social media QB” tag that often shadows high-profile recruits. Julian Lewis doesn’t pose; he posts. “Ain’t nobody in the building, but there’s somebody in the building. #TrustGod #KeepWorking,” he wrote. That’s not a caption; that’s a mission statement.

Still, work ethic alone won’t secure the starting job. Not with a guy like Kaidon Salter in the room.

According to DNVR Buffs insiders, Salter—Liberty’s dynamic dual-threat transfer—is currently “the one for camp.” Ryan Koenigsberg noted, “This is the one position where I was on my own, probably. I still went with JuJu, and I’ll just quickly say the reason… we talk about that seam ball to Drelon Miller, getting the ball up in the air for JoJo Williams and for Sincere Brown… there’s no doubt in my mind that Kaidon can do it. There’s just a different level of precision from JuJu when it comes to that stuff.”

Accuracy, timing, and touch—those are the buzzwords that keep Lewis in the conversation despite his age. Koenigsberg continued, “We were just talking about bubble screen, the accuracy of the pass, first part of the bubble screen, you got to get that guy in the number so that he can get moving.” That surgical detail in his game might be enough to wedge Lewis into live reps early, but Salter brings something else entirely. “The potential of a Kaidon Salter running threat is a whole another aspect of the offense that I know they want to lean into,” he added.

And it’s hard to argue with the résumé. Salter racked up 6,438 total yards of offense and 66 touchdowns across two seasons at Liberty. He’s a proven veteran and a dangerous open-field runner. From read-option wrinkles to QB power packages, the Buffs can build an entire ground-based substructure around his skillset. “It’s all about the running game for me. That’s what this season’s all about,” Jake Schwanitz added. “It’s about proving you can run the football… wins and losses aside, I think that’s the mission statement for Coach Prime and the Buffs this season….and Kaidon’s going to obviously help with that.”

As for Julian Lewis, a “delayed takeover” might be the smartest long-term play. His 6,000-yard high school career shows he has the production pedigree. And this year, he’ll have the chance to bulk up, digest the playbook, and observe the speed of Power Five football from the best seat in the house. When the curtain rises in 2026, Juju will be stepping into a leading role with clean cleats, fresh legs, and a veteran’s mental edge.

A humble 5-star Julian Lewis, what more can you ask for

Sometimes, all you need is one humble 5-star to light the path forward—and Colorado might just have that in Juju. The 17-year-old future QB1, fresh off his first spring camp with the Buffs, got his first real taste of big-time college football during the April 19 spring game. He’s working with the first-team offense, but his stats aren’t flashy.

Lewis finished 10-of-18 for 63 yards and a TD, and the offense didn’t exactly hum. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was the learning curve—and Lewis is already diving in headfirst.

“My biggest takeaway so far has been the extra time you need to spend on football,” Lewis said after camp. “You have to be here, get the extra time with the GAs (graduate assistants) and all the extra people.” That grind is new for a kid who dominated high school ball without needing to deep-dive into complex game scripts.

Now? He’s locked in. “My boy Isaac (Kresge) is in there with me. Isaac’s with me every day, we go through the script for the next day. I definitely didn’t need that in high school because the scouting wasn’t as challenging and the plays weren’t as deep.” Lewis is learning, grinding, and growing.