Following a 36-14 defeat against the BYU Cougars in the Alamo Bowl, Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders bids farewell to college football, as he’s headed to the NFL, where he’s projected to be a top-five pick.
The transition in Colorado is here. After a turnaround season in 2024 (9-4), Sanders has passed the baton of the program to Julian Lewis, who flipped his commitment from USC to sign with Coach Prime’s Buffaloes.
Shedeur Sanders Receives Parting Gift From His Potential Successor
Sanders recently took to Instagram to showcase a thoughtful gesture from his potential successor at Colorado, Lewis. Sanders shared an image of two large, stylish gift bags filled with apparel, captioned “Thank you @julianlewis10” on his Instagram story.
The bags, branded with the popular sportswear label Alo, were packed with what appeared to be premium clothing, likely a mix of athletic gear and casual wear.
From one quarterback to another, Lewis knows better than most Sanders’ contribution towards the program. Before the arrival of Shedeur alongside his father and coach, Deion Sanders, and two-way star Travis Hunter, Colorado registered a one-win season in 2022.
They sent shockwaves through the league by winning three straight games to start the 2023 season before entering a skid that saw them finish 4-8. This led Coach Prime to revamp several positions, including the weak offensive line, and the results were there for everyone to see.
Sanders and Co. secured their first winning season since 2020 and won more than six games for the first time since 2016. They secured bowl eligibility, and if not for a surprise loss against Kentucky in Week 13, they could have played in the Big 12 Conference Championship as well.
Julian Lewis Promises Shedeur Sanders To Take Program to New Heights
Lewis has big shoes to fill. Sanders brought mainstream attention to the program. Now, he has rest this duties on the shoulder of the Carrollton High School quarterback, who posted a farewell message to the NFL-bound quarterback.
“You left huge shoes to fill, but I promise to work to leave @CUBuffsFootball even better than I found it. Forever grateful 🙏🏽 #TrustGod #TrustTheProcess,” Lewis tweeted.
Whether or not Lewis lives up to high expectations remains to be seen, but since he’ll be learning under Coach Prime, he better get ready for the added spotlight.