Five-star QB Julian Lewis commits to CU Buffs, Deion Sanders

Coach Prime just landed his biggest recruit yet, receiving a verbal commitment Thursday from prep quarterback Julian Lewis, ESPN’s No. 2 recruit in the class of 2025.

Lewis, a five-star QB from Carrollton, Ga., is one of the top quarterback prospects in his age group and gives the CU Buffs a clear successor to Shedeur Sanders.

The teenager from Georgia took his last official visit to the CU campus in June. He now becomes Deion Sanders’ biggest prep recruit since the iconic former NFL star took the CU football coaching job in December 2022, potentially joining a roster that already features tackle Jordan Seaton, the No. 1 offensive recruit in the country in the class of 2024.

The Georgia native announced his engagement on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show” late Thursday morning.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to come to work and compete,” Lewis told McAfee. “CU didn’t recruit me until I reclassified, so it was really perfect timing. This is just the beginning. I trust Coach Prime and (offensive coordinator Pat) Shurmur to help me become the player I want to be.”

Lewis, who goes by the nickname “Ju Ju,” is a monumental commitment for Sanders and CU on several fronts.

First, it gives the Buffs a star-quality starting quarterback after 2024, which is expected to be Shedeur Sanders’ final year in Boulder and beyond.

The 6-foot-6 Lewis has thrown for 96 touchdowns and 12 interceptions over his last two prep seasons at Georgia, posting an 11-2 record entering 2023.

He was rated by the ESPN 300 as a five-star prospect and classified like a four-star few of the 247Sports.com composite.