For months, the talk around Boulder was whether Deion Sanders would burn Julian Lewis’ redshirt or let the 5-star prodigy marinate until 2026. Well, the 18-year-old made the choice for him and it was as gutsy as it gets. “Oh yeah, I want to play football,” he said last week. “I’ve been sitting down all season, man. I’m ready to play.” Turns out, he wasn’t just ready. He was built for it. But readiness doesn’t always mean reward.

When the Colorado Buffaloes marched into Morgantown, they were already gasping for air at 3-6. Deion Sanders rolled the dice, handing the reins to his youngest QB for his first career start. And while the Buffs fell 29-22 to West Virginia, Julian Lewis didn’t blink once. Nearly 300 passing yards, two touchdowns, and one brutal hair-pulling sack later, Lewis walked off that field as his emotions got the better of him. Inside the locker room, cameras caught what words couldn’t. Darius Sanders captured the moment which GUCCE posted on X on November 9 with the caption, “Colorado QB Julian Lewis emotional after a loss in his first career start for Colorado.” Not out of frustration, but out of heart.  

For a true freshman in his first start, that kind of raw emotion hits different. And in a season filled with finger-pointing and frustration, it was a glimpse of heart this locker room desperately needed. Deion Sanders Jr. summed it up best. “JuJu was in the locker room… crying his (expletive) off, crying, saying sorry because we lost,” he said. “He put himself on the line, bro. His heart’s on the line. That means something to him. I said, ‘Thank you. Thank you for caring bro. Thank you for caring.’ I love seeing that.”

Julian Lewis himself later told BuffsTV, “I think you could tell how bad we wanted this one. This is going to hurt on the way home, of course, but we’ll recoup, regather, and get ready for next week.” Colorado fell into an early 9-0 hole and never took the lead, their record slipping to 3-7, officially ending any bowl hopes. Even so, it wasn’t the same flat Buffaloes team that had been sleepwalking through previous losses. This time, they fought and that raw emotion from their starter didn’t just move teammates, it moved Deion Sanders himself.

Deion Sanders makes a rare move for Julian Lewis 

Deion Sanders isn’t known for online sentimental gestures with his players unless your name’s Shedeur Sanders. But after the loss, even the HC couldn’t ignore what he’d witnessed. Instead of critiquing, he celebrated. On Instagram, he uploaded a carousel of photos with Julian Lewis, a quiet but powerful gesture of belief. He’s never done that for Kaidon Salter or Ryan Staub, his other QBs. 

“I don’t think we played a team that’s athletically and physically better than us. I really don’t. I’ll stand on that,” Deion Sanders said postgame as his coach rankings dropped. And that’s exactly what Julian Lewis plans to change. The freshman confirmed he’s staying in Boulder during the bye week. “I’m not going home or anything like that,” he declared. “I’m gonna sit in the facility, watch film, try to grow and get better. I’ll keep all the receivers back out there so we can keep building that connection and get ready for next year.”

Still there’s a bright moment after that sad loss. Julian Lewis’ father T. Carlton Lewis tweeted a photo of West Virginia HC Rich Rodriguez catching up with his son after the game. He added the caption, “As a player, nothing says respect like the opposing head coach coming to find you after the game. Earn Everything!” With Arizona State up next on Nov. 22, the Buffs may be out of contention. But for the first time in a while, they’ve found a quarterback who truly cares. And that’s worth more than a win.