Look how the tables turned! We all must be aware of the effort and time that the Colorado Buffaloes had put into the Mission JuJu. Yes, they did catch hold of their favorite Julian Lewis. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into it. Lewis too might have hoped to fill QB Shedeur Sanders’ role immediately. Here came a grounding alert for Lewis. 

He might have to pray to God for some more patience. Right now, the 5-star QB might have to live under the shadow of the Liberty quarterback, Kaidon Salter. That’s because Salter now comes up with a 7-word vow after Lewis had hit a backseat.  

Kaidon Salter’s rise to fame leaves JuJu in the backseat

From having their 101-year-old superfan, Peggy Coppom, cheer for Julian Lewis to naming a burger after him at The Sink—the “JuJu’s Precision Pass”—the Buffs have gone all out. But what made Deion Sanders and Co. so desperate to land Lewis? Above all, it’s because Colorado would lose their star QB, Shedeur Sanders, to the NFL. So, the Carrolton High School phenom was expected to fill Shedeur’s shoes, showing similarities with Deion’s son. According to analysts, both quarterbacks are accurate, astute, and athletic. Sadly, the universe had different plans. Right now, it’s Salter who is counted on as the immediate successor to Shedeur. 

The Flames quarterback is filled with gratitude. After all, this is a golden opportunity. Deion’s winning culture in Boulder has impressed him. “From when Colorado was 1-11 to last year, going what 9-4, making a bowl game appearance, and going to have two top 10 picks in NFL Draft,” Salter gave a rundown on how Coach Prime’s graph is going up. Now that Deion will give away a piece of his heart to the NFL, the quarterback now wants to take that place and has made a 7-word vow. On the Well Off Media podcast, the player dropped a bomb, “It’s time for me to come in.”

He said, “Shedeur did his thing here, but it’s time for me to come in and do what I got to do. What Shedeur did and it’s time for me to come in and start my own legacy year.” While this might result in Lewis losing his luster, it’s also a blessing. As recruiting scout Cody Bellaire stated, “I think you have to say what is this offense going to look like going from Shedeur Sanders to Kaidon Salter. Kaidon Salter brings an element to the quarterback position that haven’t seen for the last couple of years, which is the ability to run.”

In that way, Lewis will learn from the experienced Salter: “he [Julian Lewis] doesn’t have to be thrown into the fire and he can take a year to learn and grow as a player.” Already, JuJu has to bear a lot of pain. 

How does the universe now test Julian Lewis?

Yes, the JuJu hype has vanished like a puff! Well, there was a time when Lewis capped off the season with 3,094 passing yards and 48 touchdowns. His talents became so irresistible for college football scouts that he reclassified from belonging to the 2026 to the 2025 class. And immediately picked up head coaches’ interests. However, from the beginning, his heart craved to be a part of Deion’s program. So, do you remember that picture from last July?

Lewis posed with Shedeur, where the 17-year-old was seated on the Colorado throne donning the Buffs jersey. Deion’s son stood by his side and handed him the keys. The picture came off as a clear hint that Shedeur was passing on the baton to JuJu. Did Lewis get scared knowing that he had big shoes to fill? Not at all. Sharing a snap from the Buffs locker room showing Shedeur’s and his jerseys hanging side by side, JuJu made a big promise. 

He tweeted, “You left huge shoes to fill, but I promise to work to leave @CUBuffsFootball even better than I found it.” Unfortunately, Julian Lewis has a long way to go to catch up with Shedeur’s legacy in Boulder. At the moment, he must scout ways to improve his QB rankings.

On February 2, the On3 Recruits dropped their  “Top 10 QBs in the final 2025 On300 rankings🎯.” While quarterback sensations like Michigan’s Bryce Underwood and Alabama’s Keelon Russell made it to the charts, sadly, Lewis could not find himself a place. Let’s hope that Lewis now realizes that thriving under Salter’s shadow is his golden ticket to growth and greatness.