Julian Lewis commits to Colorado: Deion Sanders lands 5-star QB

On By Littum

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, the No. 1 recruit. 2 in the 2025 ESPN 300, announced his commitment to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday’s episode of “The Pat McAfee Show.”

Lewis, who had been committed to USC since August 2023, decommitted from Lincoln Riley’s class on Sunday. Lewis, from Carrollton, Georgia, had recently taken an unofficial visit to Georgia and expressed interest in Indiana.

In the end, it was Sanders & Co. who pulled off another recruiting coup. While at Jackson State, Sanders flipped five-star cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter from Florida State in the 2022 class and did so again the next cycle, landing cornerback Cormani McClain from Miami. Now, with Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son, headed to the NFL after this season, the Buffaloes have their QB of the future.

Originally the top recruit in the 2026 class, Lewis reclassified to the 2025 class in January, but he has been considered a top recruit since he was in the eighth grade. Lewis, who is 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, is the second-ranked QB in the class behind Bryce Underwood, an LSU commit.

Here’s what you need to know about this big recruiting news with less than two weeks until the early signing period begins on Dec. 4:

How good is Lewis and who does he compare to in college football?

Perhaps the most important components of this commitment are the timing of the opening of the portal period combined with Colorado’s success on the field. That could make higher-profile, better players want to go to Colorado, which in turn would give Lewis a better supporting cast since many of the top targets on offense are leaving this team.

As for how Lewis will perform, expect to see more timing and determination from Lewis in offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s offense. Lewis is a rhythm and timing passer with athleticism comparable to Shedeur Sanders, but may not be as inventive when things break down. Lewis is best at waiting and gets the ball out of his hand. He’s a right-handed version of Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel. — Tom Luginbill

What does this mean for Deion’s future in Colorado?

By itself, a commitment from a high school player — no matter how highly regarded — won’t affect Sanders’ career path in the slightest.

The takeaway here is more about Sanders and his staff’s ability to instill confidence in a player of Lewis’ caliber that he wants to be around — and that’s important. It’s unlikely that Sanders will ever be able to fully escape speculation about his career, so it’s natural for recruiting targets to have insurance related to it. In this case, Lewis was comfortable enough with what he heard about Sanders’ future to commit.

But it’s also important to understand that if Sanders’ circumstances change and he leaves for any reason, players are free to transfer without penalty. This dynamic lowers the stakes for any commitment in this era.

Sanders has said publicly on several occasions — including this week — that he is happy in Boulder and has no plans to leave. There’s no reason to question his happiness in Colorado, but it would also be wrong to take any coach’s comments about their future at face value. — Kyle Bonagura

What’s next for Colorado’s class?

Lewis is just Colorado’s fifth ESPN 300 commitment over the past two cycles. But none is bigger than this one, both for what Lewis could represent for the future and what his promise could mean for the rest of the program’s 2025 class, with the Buffaloes making noise in the late cycle.

Prior to Lewis’ commitment, Colorado had 10 pledges in the 2025 class, all outside the ESPN 300. Sanders landed the top two members of that group, flipping UCF defensive tackle pledge Christian Hudson and Arizona State wide receiver commit Adrian Wilson in the span of 48 hours late last month. But Colorado has been on the hunt for flips recently, and Lewis’ commitment should spark some serious recruiting momentum.

There is growing optimism about the program’s chances with Ohio State defensive end pledge London Merritt (No. 52 in the ESPN 300) and outside linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng (No. 81) after the pair of IMG Academy teammates visited Colorado last week. The Buffaloes hosted two more IMG teammates — four-star Alabama offensive guard Michael Carroll and three-star Oklahoma State defensive end Alexander McPherson — also in Week 12. Meanwhile, top-300 offensive tackle Carde Smith reopened his recruitment Wednesday night when he decommitted USC after over three months in the class of the Trojans.

With Lewis in the fold, the stage is set for Colorado to finish strong in 2025. — Eli Lederman

What’s next for the schools that missed out?

USC rebounded quickly from Lewis’ exit, securing the turning point of four-star Texas A&M commit Husan Longstreet on Nov. 17, minutes after Lewis’ release became official. Expect the Trojans to remain active in looking for offensive linemen after Smith’s release, and USC could still add a big-time pledge on defense on Dec. 4 as one of four finalists for five-star defensive end Jahkeem Stewart, the No. 11 in the ESPN 300.

Georgia remains the favorite to land five-star defensive tackle Justus Terry (No. 5 in ESPN 300) and continues to pursue returns of top-300 defensive players Tavion Wallace (Arkansas commit) and Christian Gass (Tennessee). Perhaps most interesting, however, is the Bulldogs’ pursuit of another quarterback pledge in 2025. Despite a commitment from four-star passer Ryan Montgomery (No. 115 in the ESPN 300), Georgia hosted Lewis last weekend and plans to host for Cal quarterback commit Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele on Nov. 30, while the Bulldogs have also offered Mississippi State pledge KaMario Taylor and Stanford commit Bear Bachmeier in recent weeks.

Indiana’s work on the high school recruiting trail should be close to complete. The Hoosiers are up 22 pledges in the 2025 class after they retired ESPN 300 Byron Baldwin (No. 267) in their class on Friday following his release in October. Coach Curt Cignetti filled his 2024 roster with one-year transfers, so expect Indiana to be active in the portal period, especially in pursuing quarterbacks with Kurtis Rourke ineligible after this fall. — Lederman