The mystery surrounding Julian “JuJu” Lewis and Colorado’s quarterback situation only got more interesting following Saturday night’s loss to Texas Tech. After Colorado’s 29-7 loss to the Red Raiders, head coach Deion Sanders was asked about Lewis apparently falling down the quarterback depth chart.
Sanders quickly pushed back on the idea that he simply benched Lewis and moved him from first string to third string.
“No, no. I would love JuJu to come in here and he tell you what happened. Don’t ‘you benched JuJu from first string to third string.’ No, that’s not how it went down,” Sanders said. “It didn’t happen like that.”
NEW: Coach Prime says he’d “love" for QB Julian Lewis to "come here and tell you what happened.”
Prime says that JuJu wasn’t benched: "It didn't happen like that."
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) October 4, 2026
That’s certainly an ominous answer.
Deion Sanders Won’t Elaborate
Sanders didn’t elaborate on exactly what did happen, leaving plenty of questions surrounding Lewis and his current standing inside the Colorado program.
The quarterback situation has already been one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Buffaloes this season.
Lewis was benched during Colorado’s 23-13 loss to Baylor last weekend, with Sanders turning to Isaac Wilson to begin the second half. Wilson then got the start against Texas Tech on Saturday.
But Sanders’ latest comments suggest there may be more behind Lewis’ movement on the depth chart than simply his performance on the field.
What that means remains unclear.
Now It’s Isaac Wilson’s Team
Wilson made his first start for Colorado against Texas Tech after replacing Lewis at halftime against Baylor the previous week. The Utah transfer actually gave the Buffaloes an immediate spark, leading a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive on Colorado’s opening possession. But things unraveled from there. Wilson finished 26-of-44 for 290 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, with all three picks coming in the second half. His final interception was particularly costly, as Texas Tech linebacker John Curry returned it for a touchdown to extend the Red Raiders’ lead to 22-7. Wilson also led Colorado with 42 rushing yards, but acknowledged afterward that he was trying to do too much and needed to make better decisions.
Maybe Lewis will eventually get the opportunity to explain the situation himself, as Sanders suggested. Until then, Colorado fans are left wondering exactly what happened behind the scenes.
And after back-to-back Big 12 losses to Baylor and Texas Tech, the uncertainty at quarterback is another issue for a Colorado team searching for answers as it moves deeper into conference play.
