Deion Sanders Lands Successor To Shedeur Sanders In 5-Star QB Julian Lewis. Prime To NFL Rumors Stop Now?

Those Deion Sanders to the NFL rumors took a hit Thursday afternoon when 5-Star QB Julian ‘JuJu’ Lewis committed to Colorado, giving the Buffaloes a successor to Shedeur Sanders. 

The No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class had originally been committed to USC, but decided that Los Angeles and Lincoln Riley weren't the right fit for him. After taking a number of recrutiing trips, including a few stops in Boulder, Colorado, Lewis decided that playing for Coach Prime was the best path forward for the next three to four years. 

It cannot be understated how big a pickup this is for Colorado, who three years ago was the laughingstock of college football. 

Hailing from Carrollton, Georgia, Julian Lewis has been the focal point of colleges around the country hoping to flip the talented quarterback. But the Buffaloes had to hold-off a few teams down the stretch, one of them being the Georgia Bulldogs, where Lewis visited last week during the Tennessee game. 

As for his commitment to Colorado, he will certainly be looked upon to jump into the spot that Shedeur Sanders is leaving. 

"Coach Prime has always said that the best man is going to play and that's really what I wanted was to compete, start as a freshman," Julian Lewis said on the Pat McAfee show. "I wouldn’t have much fun sitting on the bench, so I wanted to come to a place that gives me a chance to play. He's gonna let me compete for that, so that was big for me."

And compete he will, with Deion Sanders hoping to have him ready for college football by the time next season rolls around. As to when Julian Lewis will arrive in Boulder to start his career, he's not wasting any time. 

Lewis will graduate in December, and enroll at Colorado almost immediately, giving him a head start on his path towards becoming the starting quarterback. 

Will Julian Lewis Committing Put Deion Sanders NFL Rumors To Bed?

Logic would tell you that Lewis committing to Colorado and Coach Prime would end the speculation that the Colorado head coach is going to move on after this season. There has always been speculation that Deion Sanders would leave the Buffaloes after his kid finished his collegiate career. 

But Deion Sanders has been telling folks that would listen that he planned on being at Colorado for a long time, not just making this a pit-stop in his coaching career. There has certainly been a lot of chatter about Sanders taking the next step, but as he recently mentioned during an interview, he's put a ‘kickstand’ in Boulder. 

"I'm happy where I am, man," Sanders said this week. "I've got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? ... That means I'm resting. I'm good, I'm happy, I'm excited. I'm enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do."

Shedeur Sanders was asked on Thursday during a media session about his father staying around Colorado and building a program. 

"If he's at a program, he's gonna change it around. Regardless of anything, he's always gonna leave his mark. It will never get forgotten about what he's done for any program that he's at."

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 28: Head coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes talks with Shedeur Sanders #2 during the second half of a game against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

After taking the Colorado job in 2022, following the Buffaloes' 1-11 season, Deion Sanders has his team in contention for a spot in the Big 12 title game, and potentially the college football playoff, with an 8-2 record this season. 

While the turnaround in Boulder garnered a lot of attention, especially with the way Sanders handled the transfer portal, it's clear that his plan has paid off. 

For the Colorado fans, they can breath a sigh of relief, for the moment. We all know that there will continue to be rumors about an NFL future over the next month. 

But for now, with Julian Lewis committing to the Buffaloes, it looks as though this is a sign that Deion Sanders doesn’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. 

And that is a massive win for the football program, along with the stud quarterback they just landed.