“At the end of the day, I feel like I had to make the best decision for me in terms of culture and family, and where I felt comfortable”.Julian Lewis, being the most sought-after QB in the 2025 cycle, knew very well that there was just one place where he could thrive. Lincoln Riley might have roped the QB to make him a long-term prospect, but his eyes were on a greater role and quicker transition. Not many football teams promised that, but there was just one team that not only looked to provide that ‘quick’ transition but also had a head coach who was more than a coach in that team.
On November 21st, 2024, Julian Lewis officially decommitted from the Trojans before taking a visit to Georgia in October. Everyone thought that Georgia, with Kirby Smart’s aggressive recruitment moves, would finally sway Lewis to their camp. But, out of nowhere, came Deion Sanders and finally convinced the QB to come to Colorado. The player aptly summarized the move. “Being 17 and going to college, it was stressful trying to get all the classes and all that stuff done. I felt like Prime (Deion Sanders) and the whole staff at Colorado really helped me through that.” The commitment was big, and more than that was the sensational decommitment of Lewis from USC; there had to have some love lost between Riley and the QB, right?
Well, Lincoln Riley chose to stay quiet on Lewis’ decommitment, and the QB whisperer quickly tapped into the market and got the commitment of five-star Husan Longstreet, flipping him from the Aggies. Several reports even indicated that Lincoln Riley was always prepared for the ‘decommitment’ contingency, and hence maintained constant communication with Husan Longstreet. Steve Wilftong of On3 reported that talks with Husan Longstreet might have forced Lewis’ decommitment. Still, everything that was going on was transparent, and Lewis wasn’t kept in the dark about anything with clear communication, as Wiltfong reported. So, Julian Lewis has reciprocated the same honesty.
While Lewis is now at Colorado, he is still in all praise for the USC Trojans fans and the head coach, Lincoln Riley. The Buffs QB even shared a 4-word message acknowledging that no love is lost between the program and Lewis, even after 6 months of his decommitment. Lewis shared a photo of himself wearing a graduation gown at Colorado and wrote. “Forever grateful Trojan Nation ”. The moment is an official acknowledgment of his time that has to start at Colorado, and Lewis is just expressing his love for the things he might have learned from Riley and just being at his camp.
Forever grateful Trojan Nation pic.twitter.com/aScIjHadMG
— Julian “Ju Ju” Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) May 17, 2025
As for the QB’s skills? He comes with a boatload of talent that enabled him to reclassify from the 2026 class to the 2025 class. The player burst onto the recruiting scene when he produced 4,118 yards with 48 TDs in the 2022 season. Moreover, the following year, he produced 3,094 yards with 48 TDs, earning him MaxPreps’ national sophomore of the year. His enrollment at Colorado aligns perfectly with his agenda to quickly start throwing those passes at Folsom Field without any delay, since Shedeur is off to the NFL, and the QB1 spot is up for grabs. But will it be a walk in the park?
Julian Lewis gets 5 five-word warning from his QB rival at Colorado?
The arm talent and other traits like sensing pressure, slipping from sacks, and a dual-threat ability surely make a case for Lewis to be the QB1. Yet, Colorado also has another QB in the pipeline, and he has also proven himself in college football, unlike Lewis, who’s just a freshman. Kaidon Salter, coming from the Liberty Flames, had previously produced 4,760 passing yards combined in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, along with a total of 1,668 rushing yards. So, what instead of Lewis getting the QB1 spot as he anticipated, he’s going to undergo an intense battle behind the center.
Earlier, Coach Prime received questions about Julian Lewis being the QB2 and red-shirt for 2025. The head coach denied any claim but expressed caution and patience on the prospect. “That, that’s not our plan. That’s not his plan, but if it happens, it happens,” Sanders said. “If he sustains an injury that puts him in that situation? But you never know. I mean, the guy could be a two, or he could be a one. I don’t think we’re going to put him in a box like that. We’re not doing that.” But if you ask Kaidon Salter, he is determined ever more to be the QB1.
Salter shared a simple message on his IG account that had powerful meaning against the background of the QB battle. The message read. “I WILL WIN, I PROMISE.” People looking for context didn’t have to jump too far, and speculations about the QB battle started in the comment section as people seemed impressed by Salter’s determination. But will he win the QB1 spot? To be fair, it’s anyone’s to take, and it looks like the battle will go to the fall camp.
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