Colorado's Quarterback Carousel: Is Julian Lewis the Buffs' True Future?
Colorado's Quarterback Carousel: Is Julian Lewis the Buffs' True Future?
Spring practice in Boulder has brought a renewed sense of urgency to Folsom Field as Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders looks to stabilize a Colorado Buffaloes program that faced significant growing pains in 2025. With the departure of Kaidon Salter to the 2026 NFL Draft, all eyes are on the battle for the starting signal-caller position. The competition has largely narrowed down to two high-pedigree athletes: the highly-touted sophomore Julian Lewis and Isaac Wilson, a transfer from Utah who has impressed coaches with his poise this spring.
Julian Lewis, once a five-star recruit who was viewed as the heir apparent to Shedeur Sanders, is facing the first true test of his leadership. After seeing rotational play during a difficult 3-9 season in 2025, Lewis is no longer the "future" in a distant sense—he is the present. However, Coach Prime has been vocal about the fact that no jobs are guaranteed. The arrival of Wilson has added a veteran edge to the room, creating a "three-man fight" for roles that Sanders believes will elevate the entire offensive unit.
The Aftermath of a Challenging 2025
The 2025 season was a reality check for the Buffaloes, who struggled to find rhythm following the loss of generational talents like Shedeur Sanders and Heisman winner Travis Hunter. The offense, led primarily by Kaidon Salter, found it difficult to replicate the explosive passing attack of the previous year. Salter finished the 2025 campaign with 1,414 passing yards, 10 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, adding five scores on the ground. Despite his dual-threat capability, the team managed only one Big 12 victory, finishing at the bottom of the conference standings.
Now, as Salter prepares for his professional career, Colorado is focused on a complete offensive reset. The supporting cast has been bolstered by a fresh wave of transfer portal additions, and the offensive line—a perennial point of concern—is under intense scrutiny during these April sessions. The goal is clear: provide whoever wins the QB1 job with the protection necessary to sustain drives and maximize the talents of receivers like Sincere Brown.
Spring Showdown: Lewis vs. Wilson
While Julian Lewis remains the fan favorite due to his immense ceiling and natural arm talent, Isaac Wilson has brought a level of competition that has been missing. Wilson's ability to process the field and apply pressure on the defense during scrimmages has turned heads. "Isaac is applying pressure, man, but that's what you want," Deion Sanders remarked earlier this month. "You want every position to have pressure applied. We want those battles."
As the spring game approaches, the narrative around Colorado football is shifting from the celebrity-driven hype of years past to a more grounded, developmental approach. Whether Lewis can cement himself as the face of the franchise or Wilson can pull off the upset will define the Buffaloes' trajectory for the 2026 season. For a program desperate to return to bowl eligibility, the stakes for this quarterback room couldn't be higher.
