Mom, wake up! We have another Kaidon Salter vs. Julian Lewis take.

Deion Sanders, the man with a flair for drama on and off the field, right now faces a dilemma every coach dreams of and dreads—a quarterback room so stacked it could rival an NFL draft board. The spotlight is now on Prime Time and a little bit on OC Pat Shurmur as well to decide how to balance seasoned experience with untapped potential. But don’t mistake this as just another QB battle; this one has the fingerprints of strategy, ego management, and long-term planning all over it.

On the latest episode of Locked On Buffs podcast, Kevin Borba brought in 247Sports’ Clint Brewster to dissect the ongoing chess match between Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and 5-Star Carrollton phenom Julian Lewis. Brewster, a former quarterback at Minnesota and Tennessee Tech who’s now a top talent scout, explained why this decision is so compelling. “It’s close,” Brewster admitted about the competition. “But you obviously want the veteran in to start. It’s like those NFL situations—you need that experienced guy to lead while the rookie gets acclimated.”

This philosophy isn’t new, and history backs it up. DJ Lagway, a fellow 5-star and a highly touted recruit, this season for Napier’s Florida Gators sat behind more experienced players to avoid falling into the trap of overexposure too soon. “Bad habits develop when freshmen play too early,” Brewster emphasized. “Lagway came in as the number one player, but he didn’t start right away, and that was the right call.” Just like we’ve seen with many other 5-star recruits. Sure, they didn’t throw for 10,000 yards in their high school career; nevertheless, it’s a fair point. And Lewis is a cornerstone of the Buffs’ future. Rushing him could jeopardize both his development and the team’s trajectory.

The Flames transfer Kaidon Salter, with his dual-threat capabilities and flashes of brilliance at Liberty, checks all the boxes for what Colorado Buffs need in the short term. Sure, his 2024 campaign wasn’t spotless, but the insider sees potential. “Hopefully, Salter starts the year and does well,” he explained. “You sprinkle in the freshman in certain situations, maybe in garbage time or blowout games, if Colorado can get those. That’d be great for Julian Lewis.” The logic tracks: let the vet handle the spotlight, while the rookie gets a taste of the action without the weight of the world on his shoulders.

The caution here isn’t just about performance; it’s about protecting Julian Lewis from himself and, more importantly, from the wolves of social media. A 5-Star with shattered confidence doesn’t do you any good. Imagine throwing him into the fire; he throws a couple of picks, and suddenly everyone online says, ‘hey, this dude su-ks.’ That’s not fun for any five-star. You want to give him time to grow.

Then there’s the matter of Salter’s maturity. At 21, he’s been through the ups and downs of college football and has the scars to prove it. Deion Sanders needs someone steady, someone who’s not just playing for the highlights but understands the grind. “You love the competition,” Brewster said. “But when it’s close, you pick the guy who’s been there before.” Sanders knows the value of patience, and for Lewis, that patience could make all the difference.

Get me in, coach! Julian Lewis is ready!

And ready he is. He’s touched down, and the defense is about to get wild. We’re about to hear all about Julian Lewis straight from the Buffs head coach himself. JuJu Lewis is wasting no time diving into the Colorado football scene as he gears up to join the program as an early enrollee. And head coach Deion Sanders has a plan—one that promises to test the mettle of the No. 2 overall recruit in ESPN’s rankings.

Lewis is set to operate as the scout-team quarterback ahead of Colorado’s Alamo Bowl game, a move designed to accelerate his development and give him a front-row seat to learn from NFL-bound Shedeur Sanders. Coach Prime didn’t sugarcoat it when chatting with Romi Bean of CBS Colorado. “Tremendous,” Sanders said of the opportunity. “Not only that, we gonna put his butt on the scout team and let him run against the ones. So we gon see if you flinch. We gon see what you got.”

And “the ones” aren’t your average defenders. Lewis will be staring down a defense that racked up 37 sacks this season and slinging passes against a secondary led by none other than Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. It’s going to be a trial by fire! But isn’t that what we all and the Georgia native wanted? It’s a golden opportunity to sharpen his skills, soak up the spotlight, and get a head start on competing with Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter.