BOULDER — When Deion Sanders sees Julian Lewis behind center, he sees his son. And that sounds like music to Buffs fans’ ears.
“The similarities are unbelievable,” Coach Prime said during a news conference late Tuesday morning at CU’s Champions Center.
Lewis, the prep quarterback out of Carrollton, Ga., is the jewel — so far — of Sanders’ 2025 prep recruiting haul. A USC de-commit, Lewis was ranked by ESPN as a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 high-school QB available, and rated by 247Sports.com composite as a 4-star get.
Like Shedeur Sanders, Lewis, according to recruiting services, is accurate, astute and athletic. During his 2022 and ’23 seasons in Georgia, he threw for a combined 96 touchdown passes while leading Carrollton to a 25-3 record.
“You want winners,” the elder Sanders said. “You don’t want guys that got their butts kicked their whole life.”
The 2024 Alamo Bowl on Dec. 28 will be the final collegiate game for Shedeur Sanders, who is projected to be the first or second quarterback selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The coach’s son threw for 62 touchdowns in just two seasons as a Buff, and this season set CU’s single-season record for passing yards (3,926) and passing touchdowns (35) with a game yet to play.
“He’s got a bright future,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said of Lewis. “At some point here … we do need another quarterback, a (transfer) guy with a year left. I think you might see that happen.”
One of those seniors-to-be is former Liberty QB Kaidon Salter, who entered the portal on Dec. 2 and CBS Sports reported is visiting CU and has the Buffs as a finalist. Salter has thrown for 48 scores with just 12 interceptions the last two seasons with the Flames.
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