Colorado is putting a lot on Julian “JuJu” Lewis’ shoulders, and Brennan Marion says the quarterback is meeting that responsibility with the kind of focus that stands out even before the season starts.
That trust showed up in how the Buffaloes handled the offseason. Deion Sanders and the Colorado staff never chased a big-name transfer quarterback, and they didn’t go hunting for a blue-chip 2026 passer either. The message was clear: the job belongs to Lewis, the 2025 signee who flipped from USC on the eve of the early December signing period in 2024.
Now the Buffaloes open against the quarterback’s home-state backdrop. Lewis is from Carrollton, Georgia, where he built his reputation as a record-setting high school star and stacked up a 39-4 record with 11,010 passing yards in the shadow of the ACC university in Atlanta.
Marion, Colorado’s new offensive coordinator, has already seen enough to know Lewis is locked in for the challenge. Speaking to reporters on Aug. 27 in Boulder, Marion made it plain that the quarterback has had his eyes on this matchup for a while.
"I know he wants this game," Marion proclaimed. "The thing that we are proud of him the most is he’s been practicing at a high level. He’s done all the little things right, gotten out of his comfort zone and with a smile on his face.”
Lewis got a taste of the job late in 2025 when he earned the starting nod for Colorado during a 3-9 season, but Marion’s comments made it clear which game has carried extra meaning for him all along: the Sept. 3 opener, back in his home state, with Colorado.
Sanders brought Marion over from Sacramento State in one of the offseason’s biggest moves, hoping to spark an offense that needed a jolt before spring work even got rolling. Marion left after just one season as a head coach, but he arrives with a track record of getting real production out of quarterbacks and playmakers at Howard, William and Mary, and UNLV.
That background matters now because Marion gets to shape an offense around Lewis. Plenty of observers will expect the Go-Go system to lean heavily on the quarterback’s legs, but Lewis has done his best work from the pocket. He doesn’t run much, and he trusts his eyes and arm more than his feet.
Marion isn’t ignoring that. He’s embracing it.
"We’re gonna always manipulate the offense to what the quarterback can do well," Marion said to reporters.
At the same time, Marion pointed out that Lewis has enough speed to move when he needs to, which fits a system built around tempo and quickness. But the bigger story, at least from Marion’s perspective, is what Lewis sees and how sharply he processes it. For Colorado, that’s the real engine behind the offense heading into 2026.
In Other News...
Colorado Is Betting Big On A Louder Folsom Field Edge
Colorado is leaning further into the idea that Folsom Field should feel like more than just a stadium on fall Saturdays. The University of Colorado Athletics announced a new batch of in-game fan experiences, including live music from local bands, a new in-game host in Gianna Girardi and upgraded video board displays, all aimed at making the home atmosphere louder and more layered for Buffaloes fans.
The changes also reach beyond the seating bowl, with a pregame street party called Ralphies Road set to bring food trucks, a giant TV, a DJ and interactive games into the mix. Colorado opens its 2026 season at Georgia Tech before coming back to Boulder, where the program will find out how much these additions can help turn Folsom Field into the kind of edge the Buffaloes want every week. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Suddenly Faces Two Painful Roster Questions After Eligibility Blow
Colorados roster picture took an unexpected hit when transfer defensive lineman Ezra Christensen was denied a preliminary injunction that would have cleared him for the 2026 season, effectively ending his college football career. The ruling leaves another hole in a unit that Colorado has had to keep adjusting, and it adds a personal layer too, with former teammate Tyler Martinez publicly showing support and reacting to the news alongside him.
Deion Sanders also addressed the situation, but the broader concern now stretches beyond one player and into the teams overall depth chart planning. With Christensen out of the equation, Colorado has to keep sorting through other roster issues as well, including potential competition among its kickers, a reminder that even one legal setback can ripple through several parts of a team at once. [Read more 🡒]
Colorados Restored Receiver Group Faces One Big Opener Concern
Kam Perry and Danny Scudero are back on the field for Colorado, working in a non-contact capacity as the Buffaloes continue to prepare for the 2026 season opener. Their return is a welcome development for a receiver room that has already dealt with injuries to key pieces, and it gives Deion Sanders offense a chance to regain some much-needed depth before the games start counting.
The timing also matters because Colorado is turning to new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, whose system should benefit from having more options available on the perimeter. Sanders had already said both receivers would be back in time for the opener, and while their presence at practice is encouraging, the bigger question now is how quickly they can be fully integrated once the full-speed work begins. [Read more 🡒]