Colorado's Julian Lewis taking redshirt: Deion Sanders decides to sit freshman QB for finale vs. Kansas State

Colorado coach Deion Sanders made one of his most forward-looking moves of the season Tuesday, announcing that true freshman quarterback Julian Lewis will sit out the Buffaloes' finale at Kansas State to preserve a redshirt. The decision ends Lewis' debut campaign after four appearances -- the NCAA maximum to retain a season of eligibility -- and signals Sanders' clearest indication yet of how he intends to shape the program heading into 2026.

"I've made a decision that JuJu is gonna redshirt," Sanders said. "I want what's best for the kid, what's best for his family, what's best for this wonderful university. ... I think for the program it's best for everyone, but mainly it's great for him."

Colorado (3-8) enters Saturday out of bowl contention, lowering the stakes for what has been a turbulent quarterback season. Lewis took over the starting job earlier this month from veteran Kaidon Salter, showing flashes of potential in consecutive starts. The former four-star prospect finishes with 589 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Salter, whom Sanders benched after a slow start to November, will start again against Kansas State with Ryan Staub backing him up.

Sanders acknowledged that the decision was difficult for Lewis, who said after his first start at West Virginia that he didn't want to redshirt.

"I'm not gonna say that he was happy, because he's a competitor," Sanders said. "He wants to compete, he wants to play."

Why Julian Lewis' redshirt sets stage for 2026

By keeping Lewis at four games, Colorado preserves four full seasons of eligibility for a quarterback Sanders has repeatedly identified as central to the program's long-term direction. With NCAA litigation still unfolding around potential rule changes that could alter eligibility limits, Sanders is positioning Lewis to be in Boulder for the long haul -- not just for a short developmental window.

It also marks a shift at a position Colorado has leaned on the transfer portal to fill during Sanders' tenure, first with Shedeur Sanders' arrival from Jackson State and again this season with Salter coming in from Liberty.

Deion Sanders promises changes, explains strange decision after Colorado loss to Arizona State

Brad Crawford

More than that, the move reflects Sanders' broader public promise of changes following the team's latest slide. After a 42-17 loss to Arizona State this past Saturday -- Colorado's fourth straight defeat -- Sanders said multiple elements of the program will need to be addressed and improved, declining to specify which areas.

"As a matter of fact, it's already in progress," Sanders said postgame. "We could throw stones at everybody. I always say you start with me."

Those comments came after Colorado athletic director Rick George -- who will step down in July 2026 and move to an advisory role -- issued a public vote of confidence, emphasizing that Sanders is not on a hot seat as the coach prepares for Year 4 at Colorado. Both statements framed the next stage of Colorado's rebuild as one built around internal development -- themes that align directly with redshirting Lewis.

Sanders has rotated through three quarterbacks this season, and Colorado's offensive challenges have underscored the need for stability. Redshirting Lewis effectively designates him as the centerpiece of that stability heading into next fall. 

Lewis' preservation year hints at a quarterback room Sanders wants to rebuild around Lewis rather than overhaul. It also aligns with Sanders' broader message that foundational change is already underway.

"If anybody is built for adversity, I am," Sanders said. "If anybody is built to change, I am. If anybody's built to overcome situations and trials and tribulations, I am. You got the right man. I promise you, you do. And I'm going to prove that to you. Just give me an opportunity and give me a little more time and I'm going to prove that to you. I will." 

For the Buffaloes, the redshirt is less about the final week of 2025 and more about what the program looks like a year from now. Lewis, by staying patient, becomes a major part of that answer -- and Sanders just made sure Colorado has at most four seasons to find out what he can become.