Julian “Juju” Lewis, ESPN’s No. 2 high school football prospect for 2025, has sent shockwaves through both college football and the NFL. On Tuesday (Nov. 21), Lewis committed his future to the Colorado Buffaloes football program and head coach Deion Sanders.
Over the past few weeks, speculation has grown louder about the possibility of Coach Prime making the move from CFB to the NFL. However, the news of Lewis, a five-star recruit from Carrollton High School, choosing Sanders and Colorado may have put these rumors to rest.
Fans Believe the Commitment of Julian Lewis Has Decided Deion Sanders’ NFL Future
Shortly after becoming public, college football and NFL fans alike took to social media to express their opinions on where this leaves Sanders. One fan highlighted how Colorado’s continued aggressive recruiting tactics hints at Sanders staying in the Big 12 conference, for at least one more season.
Juju Lewis committing to Colorado today is going to allow him to recruit hard the next two weeks for the Buffaloes. Anyone saying Coach Prime is leaving is just clueless. Maybe in a few years but not this year. Colorado is in the position to dominate the BIG 12 over the next few…
— Mike Speer (@realmikespeer) November 21, 2024
Another individual went so far as to probe Stephen A. Smith, someone who has been vocal in the past about his desire to see Sanders move to the Dallas Cowboys, about whether he still thought the move would happen.
Hey @stephenasmith Is Deion Sanders still leaving Colorado next season ? Asking for a friend #CUbuffs
— Saucy CU (@SaucyParody) November 21, 2024
The fan excitement didn’t stop there. One Colorado fan was ecstatic by the news: “Haven’t been this excited about a commitment since Cody Williams. Getting top 10 recruits just hit different”.
Another added, “He will never leave.” A nice thought, but that is highly unlikely. Even with the success Sanders has had in Colorado, a jump to the NFL is the obvious next chapter for the head coach, whether he argues that or not.
As this fan said, it might seem like Sanders is staying with the Buffaloes, but no one knows what they will do when the Cowboys come calling, “We’ll see who is clueless if and when the Cowboys come calling for Deion…”
We’ll see who is clueless if and when the Cowboys come calling for Deion…
— Kevin Michael (@Kmuell31) November 21, 2024
Who Is Julian Lewis, and What Can He Bring to the Colorado Buffaloes?
Lewis was born on Sept. 21, 2007 in Carrollton, Georgia, and he is widely regarded as one of the top recruiting prospects for the 2025 college football season. According to ESPN, the 6’1″, 195-pound quarterback had offers from 34 college programs, including Alabama, Ohio State, and Texas. Despite this national interest, Lewis opted for the Colorado Buffaloes and Coach Sanders.
Lewis has a unique combination of skills that set him apart from other quarterbacks his age and has the ability to, under the right system and coach, become one of the top college QBs and NFL prospects in the future.
Prior to his commitment to Colorado, Texas football recruiting analyst CJ Vogel detailed how he understands the excitement surrounding the Georgia product. In a social media post to X, Vogel detailed how Lewis has “top notch anticipation, accuracy and arm strength”.
First time seeing 2026 QB Julian Lewis in action and I see the hype. Top notch anticipation, accuracy and arm strength. pic.twitter.com/8izacltyTe
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) February 19, 2023
As is clear, the Buffaloes are getting an exciting young prospect who may have the ability to instantly step into the hole at quarterback left by NFL-bound star Shedeur Sanders. While it is still unknown how this recruitment will impact Deion Sanders’ future, it has left many fans wondering whether the incoming arrival of Lewis has changed his NFL plans, or at least, delayed them.