Being part of the experience is what counts, even though there are no plays involved. Deion Sanders is making sure that his new high school commits, including Julian Lewis, get early hands-on experience in college football. Colorado signed 14 high school players in the 2025 recruiting class. And they’re trying to prep them immediately. 

Lewis’ recruitment is a significant milestone in Colorado’s recruiting efforts under Coach Prime. Standing at 6-foot-1 and weighing 195 pounds, Lewis is the No. 2 overall player and quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class. Initially committed to USC as a member of the class of 2026, Lewis reclassified to 2025 and de-committed from the Trojans in November to join Colorado days later.

In a statement following his commitment, Lewis had expressed his excitement about joining Coach Prime’s program. “It’s a huge opportunity! What Coach Prime has been able to build in two seasons can’t be denied. I’ve had a chance to get to know him and believe that he can further develop me into the player and person that I want to be,” he said. Lewis also highlighted the experience of Colorado’s offensive coordinator, Coach Pat Shurmur, who brings NFL expertise that could prepare him for the next level. And Deion Sanders seems to be interested in starting that right away.

In a new YouTube episode on Romi Bean on December 19, Deion Sanders voiced his desire for his high school recruits to have as much of an experience as the current players when they go bowling. The 57-year-old Buffs HC even went to the extent of making sure what he plans to do doesn’t go against the CFB rules.

He said, “We have most of our high school kids that we signed… They should all be here. And they should all participate in practice leading up to the bowl game. They can’t play in the bowl game but they can practice. I just called a commissioner of the league the other day because I want to see if they could dress. I just want them to be a part of it. They don’t have to dress for the game but I want them to dress while we warming up and be part of when they could go change into sweats.”

Deion Sanders didn’t miss a beat when he was asked how important it is for Julian Lewis to practice alongside Shedeur Sanders before he leaves for the NFL next year. He said, “Tremendous… That young man is phenomenal what he’s done in high school football. And the thing that people forget, he’s a really good quarterback. He has all intangibles but the kid is a winner. He’s won all his life. That’s what we love about him.”

Lewis is will be thrown right into the rings when he arrives, as Deion Sanders also said that the plan is to have Lewis operate as the scout-team quarterback ahead of Colorado’s Alamo Bowl game. “Tremendous,” Sanders said. “Not only that, we gonna put his bu** on the scout team and let him run against the ones. So we gon see if you flinch. We gon see what you got.” Going up against Colorado’s defense could be a tough test for the No. 2 overall player in ESPN’s recruiting rankings.

Not only will Lewis go against a defense that totaled 37 sacks in the year, but he will also throw against the Heisman Trophy winner, Travis Hunter. It will certainly give Lewis a taste of college football landscape, while also giving him a chance to get a leg up on Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, who committed to Colorado on Wednesday. Both Lewis and the 2023 Conference USA MVP are expected to compete for the starting role. Colorado fans are definitely expecting that Lewis will continue the mometum of Shedeur Sanders. Here, Coach Prime’s words might bring further joy to them.

NCAA, College League, USA Football: Cincinnati at Colorado Oct 26, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks the sidelines in the second half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Folsom Field. Boulder Folsom Field Colorado USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xRonxChenoyx 20241026_tbs_ac4_615

“I think smart coaches at this level understand what has worked for them and they try their best to replicate that. I saw a lot of similarities between the way Julian’s life has been structured [and Shedeur’s]. Some of the similarities are unbelievable. That kid right there is everything that we desire in a quarterback. He’s smart; he can make every throw but most of all, he’s a winner,” Deion had said.

In late November, Julian Lewis finally committed to Deion Sanders and Colorado as their highest-rated commit. Right from his high school football debut season, the highly touted QB posted impressive numbers. In his final season, he completed an impressive 75.8% of his passes for 3,272 yards and 44 touchdowns. Over two seasons at Carrollton, Lewis has thrown for more than 7,000 yards and 96 touchdowns, demonstrating precision and poise uncommon for his age.

Scouts shower praise on Lewis, calling him a “polished, productive signal-caller” with exceptional accuracy and decision-making skills. His ability to excel in structured offensive systems and his efficiency in the quick passing game make him a high-floor prospect, according to them. Lewis was named “National Freshman of the Year.”

But he added more titles to his resume by winning the “National Sophomore of the Year” title the following year with 3,094 yards and 48 touchdowns. So yes, taking this forward is necessary. And with early practice with Colorado, who knows JuJu could put up similar numbers in his freshman season? So the upcoming bowl game could be a great practice ground.

Colorado gets ready for its first bowl game since 2020

After the big talk and weak outcome last season under Deion Sanders’ coaching, not many believed him initially like they did last season. His promise to their 99-year-old superfan Peggy to take her bowling this year seemed far-fetched. But Colorado beat the odds to finish the season with a 9-3 record, a stark improvement from last season’s 4-8, earning their first bowl appearance since 2020. 

No. 23 Colorado is set to face No. 17 BYU in the Valero Alamo Bowl on December 28. The Buffs will travel to San Antonio for the showdown between these two prominent Big 12 teams at Alamodome. Amidst this excitement, we gotta acknowledge that Deion Sanders won this season. And it’s not just record-wise. The season brought forward Shedeur Sanders as a potential top pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Colorado also produced a Heisman winner in Travis Hunter. Sanders was a semi-finalist for the George Munger Award, which is awarded to the most outstanding CFB coach. 

Deion Sanders always has a plan. It doesn’t matter when it’ll work but it eventually does. And now that he plans the bowl game to be an inclusive event for his new commits, maybe he’s setting the foundation. After all, well begun is half-done.