Colorado’s freshman quarterback Julian Lewis is gearing up for his second career start against Arizona State on Saturday. The 18-year-old five-star recruit has spent the last two weeks transforming from a quiet presence on the sidelines into the undisputed leader of the Buffaloes’ offense. And heading into one of the most important games of his young career, he received a powerful reminder of what this opportunity means.

“You have practiced, you have sacrificed, and you have waited 12 months for this opportunity. May God Be Glorified Tonight! #ForHisGlory #FolsomField,” Lewis’ father, T. Carlton Lewis, said in his pregame message on social media.

Carlton Lewis has been deeply involved in his son’s recruitment and transition to Boulder. He publicly thanked Deion Sanders and the Colorado staff for their “integrity, cohesiveness, and communications” when Julian committed last year. That relationship has only deepened since Julian arrived on campus. And Saturday’s message showed just how invested the Lewis family remains in this journey.​​

The transformation Lewis has undergone since being named the starter has been nothing short of remarkable. According to Colorado insider Uncle Neely, Lewis went from being virtually invisible in the locker room to the loudest, most commanding voice in the huddle almost overnight.

“Probably a month ago, I don’t know how many people on the team even knew Juju’s voice,” Neely said. “You know, he was just a party on the phone. You like, ‘oh, this Juju,’ because he wasn’t that vocal guy in the locker room, in the team meeting room, or what have you.”

But the moment Deion Sanders handed him the keys to the offense, everything changed. “But since taking this position, you really see the guy who was all that in the bag of chips in Georgia football,” Neely continued. “You know, he’s coming out of that freshman shell and ready to lead the team.”

Lewis’ debut against West Virginia was proof that this wasn’t just talk. The freshman went 22-for-35 with 299 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-22 loss to the Mountaineers. He showed poise and arm talent that had been rumored but never seen in live action. When a West Virginia defender grabbed a handful of his long hair and dragged him backward nine yards during one play, Lewis didn’t complain or lose focus. He just kept playing. 

Afterward, he promised he’d come back the next week with his hair braided so defenders wouldn’t have anything to grab onto. “He’s now braided up, so we won’t encounter that issue again, which I truly appreciate,” Deion Sanders said this week on his CBS Denver show. “He recognized the importance of addressing this situation, thinking, ‘I need to handle this, as I can’t let it happen again.'” 

The emotional aftermath of that loss hit Lewis hard. Deion Sanders Jr. revealed that the freshman was in tears in the locker room, apologizing to his teammates for not getting the win. But that raw emotion only seemed to galvanize the team around him.​ Now, with his father’s words echoing in his mind and a team that’s starting to believe in him, Lewis has everything he needs to make Saturday another step in what’s shaping up to be a special career.​

Deion’s all in on JuJu

With a bye week to prepare and the lessons of his first start fresh in his mind, Lewis is ready to take another step forward against Arizona State. Deion Sanders has made it clear that the expectations are rising, telling reporters this week, “Some of the mistakes you made, we don’t expect you to make those again because now you understand what we want. You got game action, you got live action. You understand where the blitz is coming from, what they’re going to do to you. We got packages for that. We got things implemented in those calls.”

But it’s not just the technical growth that has Deion Sanders excited. It’s the other qualities Lewis brings to the huddle that have completely changed the dynamic of the offense. “He has that intangible that he makes other guys want to play with him, and want to compete as such,” Sanders said. “Now they (receivers) know, if I get a step, that ball is gonna be there.”

That trust already showed up against West Virginia, where Lewis connected on three completions of more than 30 yards and threw touchdowns to both Joseph Williams and Omarion Miller. And now, when Colorado squares up against the reigning Big 12 champions, Julian has got to squeeze out every bit of the skill he has in him.