Julian Lewis didn’t just show up at Big 12 Media Days - he gave everyone a blunt snapshot of how much Colorado’s quarterback room has changed.
The Buffaloes quarterback, who was there with coach Deion Sanders and several teammates, said his approach to preparation looks a lot different now under offensive coordinator Brennan Marion than it did under Pat Shurmur.
"I'm actually looking at the defenses now. Last year we wasn't really looking at defenses much, just kind of high school, freeballing, just out there playing football. But it's a lot bigger than that now, so, should be fun," Lewis said in a brief interview on ESPNU.
That comment lit up fast, and not in a good way. Lewis’ admission that he wasn’t studying opposing defenses during his true freshman season raised fresh questions about how Colorado was developing its quarterbacks. Shurmur is gone, but the bigger issue now hangs over Sanders: if Lewis was “freeballing” through last year, how did it get that far?
Colorado’s offense clearly needed a reset. In 2025, the Buffs cycled through quarterbacks, with Lewis getting action in four games while preserving his redshirt. Kaidon Salter and Ryan Staub also had chances to claim the job.
The results were rough. Colorado averaged 20.9 points per game, which ranked No. 116 out of 136 teams nationally.
In the Big 12, only Oklahoma State scored fewer points. The Buffs were also No. 114 in the country in total offense at 328.4 yards per game, and their 17.3 first downs per game ranked No. 117 out of 136.
That kind of production helped drag Colorado to just three wins, and the problems weren’t confined to one side of the ball. The defense had its own issues, especially against the run, and gave up 30.5 points per game.
So the offseason brought change on both coordinator spots. Marion is in for Shurmur on offense, while Chris Marve replaces Robert Livingston on defense.
There’s at least a reason for optimism in the new staff. Both Marion and Marve have coordinator experience, and that matters for a team trying to get its quarterbacks and the rest of the roster pointed in the right direction.
Marion’s track record is especially notable: in 2025, while serving as head coach at Sacramento State, his offense averaged 33.75 points per game. Before that, he spent two seasons as UNLV’s offensive coordinator, where the Rebels averaged 34.43 points per game in 2023 and 35.36 in 2024.
Sanders has already made clear what he wants from his offensive hires - 35 points per game - and Marion’s numbers line up with that target. Whether that translates into a real turnaround for Colorado in 2026 is the question now hanging over Boulder.
In Other News...
Coach Prime Just Got More Bulletin Board Fuel From The Big 12
The Big 12s preseason All-Big 12 team arrived with a familiar kind of offseason message for Colorado: plenty of respect for the leagues established names, but none for the Buffs new-look roster. Even after bringing in one of the nations best transfer classes, Colorado was shut out of the list entirely, a reminder that preseason voting often says as much about reputation as it does about what a team might become once the games start.
For Deion Sanders, it is the sort of slight that can linger in a locker room. Colorados newcomers have plenty to prove, and the omission gives them a clean line of motivation heading into the season, especially for players like Danny Scudero, who arrives with a national profile and still found himself left off the conferences early spotlight. The Buffs do not need bulletin-board material to believe in themselves, but the Big 12 just handed them some anyway. [Read more 🡒]
Julian Lewis Struck A Different Tone When Colorado Faced Its Hardest Topic
Julian Lewis sounded more settled at Big 12 Media Days than he did a year ago, and that mattered for Colorado because the freshman quarterback is no longer just talking about arriving on campus. He spoke about understanding college football better, adjusting to Brennan Marions Go-Go offense and using spring practice to keep building, all while the Buffaloes continue sorting out a quarterback room that also includes Isaac Wilson.
The harder part of the day came when Lewis was asked about a teammate no longer with the program, a moment that shifted the tone of an otherwise football-heavy session. Lewis also touched on the season opener against Georgia Tech and even offered his quarterback Mount Rushmore, but the most revealing part of his appearance was how carefully he handled the emotional side of Colorados offseason, leaving the full answer hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Colorado Just Made A Derrick White Move Buffs Fans Will Feel
Colorados basketball program has been working to find its footing again after missing the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, and now it has turned to one of its most recognizable recent alums for help. Derrick White, the former Buffaloes guard now with the Boston Celtics, is back in Boulder in an off-court capacity, giving Tad Boyles staff another voice as it tries to shape what comes next.
Spencer Dinwiddie, another former Colorado player, publicly backed Whites return in a video shared by the program, a nod that should resonate with fans who have watched the Buffs try to keep pace in a changing college landscape. The move also fits neatly into the schools push toward its next phase, with Whites presence carrying both basketball credibility and the kind of familiarity that can matter when a program is trying to rebuild momentum. [Read more 🡒]