Colorado is expected to bench quarterback Julian Lewis after a 2-2 start, sources confirmed to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. Utah transfer Isaac Wilson will start at home against No. 11 Texas Tech on Saturday.
Wilson replaced Lewis in the second half of a 23-13 loss against Baylor last week and provided a spark. The Buffaloes overcame a 10-point deficit to tie the game early in the fourth quarter before the Bears pulled away down the stretch. He finished with 156 yards and a touchdown in one half of work.
Lewis was a crown jewel recruit for Sanders after flipping him late from USC. Rated the No. 10 quarterback in the 2025 class, the Carrollton, Georgia, native reclassified into the Class of 2025 and opted to join the Buffaloes. But outside of a strong performance against FCS Weber State, Lewis has been shaky and inconsistent, averaging just 5.1 yards per attempt against FBS competition.
Sanders has also been frank that he doesn't view Lewis as a team leader, nor does he seem ready to take on a leadership role.
"I told y'all he'll be coming around the mountain, so what does that mean? He ain't there yet," Sanders said last week. "I can't expect something out of you that's not in you. That's not an insult."
Wilson started for Utah as a true freshman in 2024, throwing 10 touchdowns to 11 interceptions during a difficult Big 12 debut season. He spent 2025 as a backup to Devon Dampier before transferring to Boulder over the offseason to back up Lewis.
Quarterback issues
Outside of the pandemic-shortened season at Jackson State, Sanders had never coached a team without his son, Shedeur, as the starting quarterback. The younger Sanders led his Jackson State and Colorado programs for four years, reaching a 36-15 record over that stretch. Without Shedeur in the lineup, Sanders' teams have been far more inconsistent, recording a 9-14 record.
The quarterback position has specifically been an Achilles heel since Shedeur graduated. The Buffaloes brought in Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter last season, but he was later benched for backup Ryan Staub. Salter was later inserted again, but benched for good in favor of the star recruit Lewis.
While cycling through three quarterbacks, the Buffaloes dropped from No. 1 to 13 in the Big 12 in passing offense. Sanders' Buffaloes posted a 1-8 conference record for the second time in three seasons. After the season, left tackle Jordan Seaton (LSU), wide receiver Omarion Miller (Arizona State) and wide receiver Dre'lon Miller (Baylor), along with 18 other players that landed at Power Four schools.
Colorado has a seven-game losing streak against Big 12 competition, with six losses coming by at least double-digit margins. The Buffaloes have produced only one 200-yard passer over that stretch.
