Colorado’s season may hinge on what happens at quarterback coming out of the Week 6 bye, and Julian Lewis sits right at the center of it.
The Buffaloes stumbled into the break on a three-game losing streak, with their offensive problems doing much of the damage. That puts the pressure squarely on the quarterback room as Colorado prepares for its Week 7 matchup against the No. 12 Utah Utes.
Lewis is not even locked in as the starter for that game. He’s competing with junior Utah transfer Isaac Wilson, who started in Week 5 against the then-No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders, and freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne.
Lewis’ situation took a turn when he was benched at halftime in Week 4 against the Baylor Bears. He opened the season slowly and never really had enough time to turn it around.
Still, Lewis brings the biggest upside of the three if he can win the job. He arrived as a former five-star quarterback out of high school and has flashed real talent in black and gold, even if the early-season growing pains have been obvious.
For Deion Sanders and Colorado, the question is whether they have enough time to let that development play out, especially with Sanders’ own job on the line.
If Lewis is not the starter against Utah, the message would be loud.
If Wilson gets the nod, Colorado would be settling for a known level of play. He’s a gunslinger with a history of turnovers and has struggled in big moments against ranked opponents. Starting him would suggest the Buffs are choosing stability of a sort, even if that path keeps them from truly competing in a demanding stretch.
If Sweetwyne is the choice, it means something else entirely. It would signal that Colorado sees more long-term promise in him than in Lewis.
“It’s a plan, and you’ve got to stick with the plan,” said Sanders after Colorado’s loss to Baylor. “When you go to Sweetwyne, that’s more of a long-term type of thought process.”
That would be a bet on Sweetwyne as part of the program’s future, one that could look smart if Sanders is right and could also come with serious consequences.
Lewis still has time to make his case. He got the full bye week and now has another full week of practice to try to get back to where he needs to be.
The issues that got him benched were plain enough: not enough aggression, too much caution, and decision-making that held him and the offense back. Restoring his confidence has to be the priority now.
If Lewis can grow into the quarterback Brennan Marion’s ‘Go-Go’ offense needs, he could help salvage both his own season and Colorado’s. If he can’t, the end of the Coach Prime Era in Boulder may be closer than it looks, with a rocky quarterback split sitting just ahead.
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The seeding gives Colorado a tricky starting point, with the Buffs placed seventh in Pool B and facing an immediate stretch that will test how quickly they can settle in. Late-October golf in Salt Lake City can bring less-than-perfect conditions, and Colorado will need to navigate that as it works through pool play before any chance at crossover bracket matches. [Read more 🡒]