The hype train that is the Colorado Buffaloes was widely speculated to come to a halt at the end of this season. This notion was comprehensible. Superstar duo Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s ensuing draft escapades spawned questions of whether the program’s upturn has run its course. In this state of uncertainty, Deion Sanders and Buffs fans perhaps found their savior. Julian Lewis’ imminent disposition under center is a captivating prospect. Now, imagine if he has a fellow 5-star recruit flanking him. One that he’s got an intrinsic chemistry with already.

Alabama WR Caleb Odom has announced his decision to enter the transfer portal. Odom appeared in all 12 games in his freshman year out of Carrollton HS in Georgia. However, he couldn’t quite crack a prominent role in the two-deep. The emergence of fellow freshman Ryan Williams meant opportunities for Odom were at a premium. He made one start all season. The competition for places was a key facet in Caleb Odom’s decision to enter the portal. Naturally, he’s got suitors across the country. His ex-Carrollton teammate Julian Lewis is pulling strings to lure him to Boulder. If his recent IG activity is anything to go by, JuJu is finding some success.

Caleb Odom is set to make a visit to Colorado this weekend, his very first since entering the portal. This bit of intel was reliably broken by On3’s Hayes Fawcett. In the wake of this news, Lewis took to IG to post a Story pertaining to this upcoming visit. He shared a post relaying the information about Odom’s imminent visit, along with a subtle “🤫” emoji. Not sure if somebody’s caught JuJu up to speed. But the Deion Sanders-helmed Colorado program doesn’t exactly move in silence!

This isn’t the only proponent of Julian Lewis’ conspicuous excitement around Caleb Odom. Just yesterday, he took to X to post yet another message. This was a tad more, let’s just say, elaborate. In a tweet sharing the aforementioned news of Odom’s visit, JuJu wrote “Family Business”. This would suggest just how much of an input Julian is having on the process. Family is something of a theme at the Buffaloes, although this will vanquish soon.

Coach Prime will hope he can get some of that Shedeur-Travis magic to permeate through to this potential QB-WR pairing. Lewis and Odom connected for 25 TDs and over 1800 yards amongst them in their two years together at Carrollton. The signs bode well for the revamped Colorado offense heading into 2025.

Caleb Odom’s skillset falls in line with Deion’s coaching philosophy

One of the biggest features of Coach Prime’s coaching style is his ability to utilize versatility. Travis Hunter playing both sides of the ball is just one proponent of this. Deion’s affection for players who can fulfill a multitude of roles could be a factor in Caleb Odom’s development. At 6”5, 227 pounds, Odom was a tight end out of high school. He only began playing as a WR at Alabama. This multifaceted functionality would sit in Deion’s wheelhouse.

It is safe to say the domino effect of landing a recruit of Julian Lewis’ ilk leads to the Buffs’ ability to sway such talent from a blueblood like Bama. “When you get a quarterback of the caliber of Julian Lewis, you are going to have some residual effects in a positive way. It is what it is, [but] I think that if Julian had become Colorado Buffalo in July, we might have seen a more direct impact on the 2024 class.” said the host on the DNVR Buffs’ podcast. 

Whether or not Colorado can land Caleb Odom, one thing is apparent. The Buffs were not a flash in the pan for a year and a bit. Even with Shedeur and Travis headed to the pros, the program will continue to make waves. As long as Deion Sanders is at the helm, Colorado is here to stay. They’ll hope for a seamless transition with Julian Lewis under center next season.