Deion Sanders says QB Julian Lewis won't start Colorado's regular-season finale to preserve redshirt

Julian Lewis’ freshman season is over at Colorado. Deion Sanders said Tuesday at his weekly news conference that Lewis would sit out the team’s regular-season finale against Kansas State on Saturday to preserve his redshirt. Lewis has played in four games in 2025 and wouldn’t be able to redshirt if he appeared in a fifth game.

“I’ve made a decision that JuJu is going to redshirt,” Sanders said. “That’s my decision, I want what was best for the kid, what was best for his family, what’s best for this wonderful university that has given me the tremendous opportunity, given him the opportunity.”

“I think for the program, it’s best for everyone. But mainly it’s great for him. So, I’m not going to say he was happy. Because he’s a competitor, he wants to compete, he wants to play, his father, they’re cut from the same cloth, we had that conversation as well.”

Lewis, a former five-star recruit, has started the last two games for the Buffaloes after playing in the second half of Colorado’s blowout loss to Arizona. The Buffaloes are 3-8 as they’ve lost four straight since beating Iowa State at home on Oct. 11.

Over his four games, Lewis is 52-of-94 passing for 589 yards and four touchdowns. Had he not appeared as part of a quarterback rotation against Delaware early in the season — a game where he attempted four passes — Lewis would be eligible to play against Kansas State and preserve a season of eligibility.

Kaidon Salter will start on Saturday for the Buffaloes and will be backed up by Ryan Staub. Salter has played in eight games this season and was the team’s Week 1 starter. Staub played well enough against Delaware to earn the starting job in a loss to Houston. He’s appeared in four games in 2025.

Sanders' decision to keep Lewis out of the game against KSU isn't much of a surprise. He had hinted at the possibility earlier in the season after Lewis was set to start against West Virginia when he said that he wanted "whatever’s best for these young men’s careers."