Julian Lewis lasted just one half at Baylor before Deion Sanders pulled him from the game, signaling an immediate shift in Colorado’s quarterback hierarchy. Julian Lewis was supposed to bring stability to Colorado’s quarterback room, but four games into the season, the walls are closing in following a halftime benching against Baylor and back-to-back losses that dropped the Buffaloes to 2–2. Sanders has not indicated Lewis will be permanently benched or face further disciplinary action beyond the Baylor substitution.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Rather than easing up during the program’s offensive tailspin, Sanders insists the relentless pressure on his quarterbacks is an intentional tool for player development rather than punishment. With Shedeur Sanders now in the NFL, Colorado’s quarterback room has lacked continuity, creating an intense environment as the team struggles to generate points against FBS competition.
Reinforcing his tough-love philosophy on social media, Sanders posted on X to make it clear that he will not give his struggling stars a breather: “Your mentality is what’s gonna take u where u want to go. Don’t bend, break, or crumble. Pressure is what’s needed for u to develop into what & who u want to be. Apply it & don’t allow the world’s pressure to provoke u. Your mentality will be the weapon u need. Let’s go. #CoachPrime.”
The X post fits a message Sanders has been sending for days. In an interview with Voice of the Buffs’ Mark Johnson, he said different players need different things at different times, adding, “I need you to be a man. Like, come on now, let’s man up.”
The pressure is landing hardest on the quarterback room. ESPN and CBS Sports reported that Utah transfer Isaac Wilson is expected to start against Texas Tech, though Sanders has yet to confirm the move publicly.
The debate began at Baylor when Lewis started as QB1, but Colorado managed only three points in the first half. Sanders turned to Wilson after the break in an eventual 23–13 loss, taking full blame for the move afterward.
“I’ll take the responsibility. It was a decision that I made because I was trying to get us going,” Sanders told reporters. “That’s it, just based on let’s go, we gotta get going. We gotta score some points.”
Lewis finished 11 of 16 for 75 yards with no touchdowns before getting pulled. Through four games, Lewis has thrown for 733 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions, but the Buffaloes have managed just 34 combined points in three games against FBS opponents.
“It’s not an in-the-moment change,” Sanders said. “That’s obviously when you’ve sat down with the coaches, you’ve sat down with the quarterbacks. They know the deal. They know the timing.”
Earlier, a 41–7 loss to Northwestern featured four Colorado turnovers and three failed fourth-down tries. After that game, Sanders laid out his expectations for certain players, not positions.
Wilson gave Sanders something to consider after his halftime entry against Baylor. Despite a shaky start, the Utah transfer led a field goal drive and a 95-yard touchdown drive that tied the game at 13–13, finishing 12 of 25 for 156 yards and a touchdown.
“Isaac came in—a little shaky, nervous, I don’t know what—then he calmed down a little bit and got us down the field. Did his job. That’s all we wanted,” Sanders said.
At Utah, Wilson went 2–5 as a starter, completing 56.4% of his passes for 1,150 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Sanders insists his quarterback evaluation is purely functional. “We gotta score, man. We gotta score. That’s the whole thing,” he said on BuffsTV. “I don’t make decisions based on emotions.”
The next test is a formidable one. Texas Tech arrives at Folsom Field on Saturday, Oct. 3, for a 5:30 p.m. MT kickoff.
Colorado beat the Red Raiders 41–27 in 2024, but Coach Prime has yet to declare who will take the first snap under center this time around.