Colorado Buffaloes Football

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders took quite the hit during Saturday's game against Kansas.

The senior quarterback was on the receiving end of a hit to the knees by Jayhawks linebacker Dean Miller that sent Sanders to fall backwards and grip his knee.

Sanders did not depart from the game, but the severity of the hit had many take to social media to criticize the hit not being penalized.

Sanders entered the game with 3,222 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns, four rushing touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He is a key piece of the Buffaloes' offense, so potentially losing him would have been a major blow to Colorado.

Colorado entered the game with an 8-2 record and is in contention for the conference championship. A loss to Kansas would put those hopes in jeopardy.

While Sanders and the Buffaloes appear to have avoided the worst, his knee and overall health should be something to monitor moving forward.

Julian Lewis, a 4-star quarterback in the Class of 2025, committed to Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday.

And Sanders, unsurprisingly, is quite pleased with that decision.

"It's a great thing for the program," he said during an appearance on the Colorado Football Coaches Show (2:06 mark). "We know that's been in the workings for quite some time. Great kid, great talent. I like the qualities, and the home structure. And I can't wait to be a part of his life and coach him."

Lewis is considered the No. 36 player overall in the Class of 2025, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings, with 34 players considered 5-star talents. He's also the No. 6 quarterback overall in his class and the No. 6 overall player from the state of Georgia.

He had previously been committed to USC but de-committed on Nov. 17. The Trojans very quickly secured a replacement, getting a commitment from 5-star quarterback Husan Longstreet.

Andrew Ivins of the recruiting site noted that Lewis "Lacks elite physical traits, but is an elite distributor of the football with his quick release and advanced mechanics that picked apart defenses in the Peach State's highest classification."

He added that he "projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making."

He'll have the chance to win the starting job at Colorado immediately, with star quarterback Shedeur Sanders off to the NFL after the 2024 season.

The younger Sanders had a one-word reaction to Lewis committing to the Buffs:

There remain questions about whether Coach Prime will remain at Colorado for the long haul or eventually seek a job in the NFL, which could at some point put Lewis' commitment to Colorado in peril. Sanders has repeatedly said he has no plans of leaving the school, however.

Outside of landing big names like Travis Hunter and Lewis, recruiting has not necessarily been Sanders' strong suit, though he has done well on the transfer portal. Colorado currently ranked 66th in 247Sports' Composite team rankings, with Lewis one of four 4-star recruits thus far.

Last season, the Buffaloes ranked 95th in recruiting but eighth in the transfer rankings, putting their overall mark at 22nd. On the field, the team is currently 8-2 and in prime position to land a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game, which would give them a chance to automatically qualify for a College Football Playoff berth.

Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Bo Nix have all impressed at times during their rookie seasons after they were first-round picks in the 2024 NFL draft, but Shedeur Sanders feels like he would have been better than all of them had he declared last year.

"I feel like I was the best quarterback in the last draft, too," the Colorado quarterback told reporters Thursday when asked why he believes he is the best signal-caller in this year's draft class.

While Sanders has played extremely well this season and has the Buffaloes in the middle of the College Football Playoff race, it is still a head-turning assessment.

After all, Williams, Daniels and Maye went in the first three picks of the 2024 draft and were closely followed by Michael Penix Jr. (No. 8 overall), J.J. McCarthy (No. 10 overall) and Nix (No. 12 overall) in a loaded quarterback draft class.

McCarthy and Penix haven't had the opportunity to prove what they can do because of an injury to the former and the latter's spot behind Kirk Cousins on the Atlanta Falcons' depth chart, but the others all look like the franchise quarterback for years to come for their respective franchises.

And Daniels has the Washington Commanders in playoff position in the NFC, while Nix has the Denver Broncos in the same position in the AFC.

Still, Sanders figures to be a high draft pick as well and could quickly become a franchise quarterback competing for playoff positioning. B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected him as the first signal-caller and No. 3 overall player chosen behind teammate Travis Hunter and Michigan cornerback Will Johnson in its latest mock draft.

Colorado is one of the biggest success stories of the entire 2024 campaign, as it was just 4-8 last season and seemed well on its way to another dismal campaign when it was blown out by Nebraska in the second game this season.

However, it is now 8-2 overall and 6-1 in the Big 12 and controls its own destiny in the conference with remaining games against Kansas and Oklahoma State. A conference title will likely put it in the College Football Playoff, which will give Sanders the opportunity to play under an even brighter spotlight against elevated competition.

NFL scouts and teams looking for quarterback help will surely be paying attention if that becomes a reality, and his performance could determine whether he is selected ahead of Cam Ward, Garrett Nussmeier and other top prospects in April's draft.

University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders hyped up highly touted quarterback recruit Julian Lewis' commitment to the Buffaloes on Thursday.

Sanders took to social media, tagging Lewis on X with a post that read, "Legendary."

Lewis, who is a 4-star prospect and the No. 36 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings, officially announced Thursday that he has committed to play college football at Colorado:

With Sanders poised to enter the 2025 NFL draft after this season, Lewis may be his heir apparent for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, who is also Shedeur's father.

Lewis originally committed to play at USC back in August 2023, but he decommitted on Sunday, thus re-opening his recruitment. At the time, ESPN's Pete Thamel noted that Lewis had recently visited with Colorado and Georgia, while also expressing interest in Indiana.

Given that Lewis stars at Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia, the Bulldogs could have had the inside track, making him a significant addition to Colorado.

When Coach Prime moved from FCS Jackson State to Colorado, he brought his son with him. Shedeur has been a highly productive player during his two seasons with the Buffs.

During his debut FBS campaign in 2023, Shedeur completed 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and three interceptions. Despite that, Colorado went just 4-8.

He is trending toward an even better season as a senior in 2024. He's completing 72.9 percent of his passing attempts for 3,222 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven picks with two regular-season games left to be played.

Most impressively, Colorado is 8-2, and it controls its own destiny in terms of playing in the Big 12 Championship Game and reaching the College Football Playoff.

While expectations were high for Colorado with Shedeur at quarterback, it was always a question mark whether Coach Prime would be able to find a suitable replacement once Shedeur moved on.

With Shedeur in line to perhaps be the first quarterback taken in the 2025 NFL draft, Lewis has a chance to slide into his starting role as soon as next season.

While it is far from a guarantee that he will start as a true freshman, he has a track record of making an immediate impact. He was named a finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award during his sophomore season when he threw for 3,094 yards, 48 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

If Lewis is as good as advertised, Coach Prime may have the pieces in place to make Colorado a perennial contender for Big 12 and national titles.

Arguably the most dynamic player in college football will be headed to the next level after the season.

Colorado cornerback and wide receiver Travis Hunter told reporters Thursday he is "for sure" heading to the 2025 NFL draft and plans on continuing to play both ways in the professional ranks:

Hunter was already a household name before the 2024 season started given his starring role on Deion Sanders' Colorado team during the 2023 campaign. He was also the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2022, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and started at Jackson State with Sanders before following the head coach to the Buffaloes.

While he was an All-American in his first season at Colorado, he has ascended to another level this season.

Hunter quickly found himself in the middle of Heisman Trophy discussions when he tallied 100 or more receiving yards in each of the first four games. He also forced the fumble that clinched the Buffaloes' 38-31 victory over Baylor in that fourth game all while posting seven catches for 130 yards on the offensive side.

It was a performance that underscored just how incredible Hunter is as a two-way star and how high his potential can climb at the next level.

He has continued to build on it as the season progressed and the pressure increased and has 74 catches for 911 yards and nine touchdowns as a wide receiver to go with 24 tackles, eight passes defended and three interceptions as a cornerback.

That type of two-way ability has him firmly in the middle of Heisman Trophy discussions. He is also a major reason why the Buffaloes control their own destiny in the Big 12 title race and could end up securing a College Football Playoff spot.

Hunter's impact hasn't gone unnoticed in NFL circles, and B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected him as the No. 1 overall pick in its latest mock draft earlier this month.

Even if he ultimately plays more cornerback in the professional ranks, the team that drafts him can use him in offensive packages and capitalize on his overwhelming athleticism, speed, versatility and endurance as soon as his rookie season.

A scouting report from B/R's NFL Scouting Department highlighted his twitchiness, acceleration to cover plenty of space as a defender, high football IQ that allows him to consistently make the correct play, ball-hawking ability as a corner and receiver that helps him come down with contested passes, and willingness to be a tackler even from the secondary.

Hunter is the full package as a cornerback, and it comes as no surprise he will be heading to the next level after a memorable 2024 season.

NFL teams might want to do everything they can to draft Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders if Mel Kiper Jr.'s evaluation is accurate.

After all, the ESPN analyst compared the signal-caller to Tom Brady, Joe Burrow and Jared Goff on Thursday (7:18 mark):

"I will say Shedeur will remind people a little bit of Joe Burrow, little of Jared Goff, little Tom Brady," Kiper said. "And I say that with Brady coming out of Michigan, not what he became, the greatest of all-time, but coming out. What did you see? Pocket awareness, okay. Pocket instincts. Accuracy throwing the ball. Incredible toughness, taking so many hits at Colorado it's amazing he's still standing today. … Mind, the great mind for the game, unflappable. ...There's elements of all three that he possesses. Will he be any of that? Who knows."

While Kiper made it clear he was comparing Sanders to Brady, Burrow and Goff when they were coming out of college, those names are still going to turn heads.

All Brady did was become the greatest of all-time with seven Super Bowl rings on his resume. And Burrow and Goff are on the short list of the best quarterbacks in today's NFL with the former going to one Super Bowl and the latter putting his Detroit Lions in position to compete for the Lombardi Trophy this season.

Sanders has elevated his own team this year, as Colorado was an ugly 4-8 in 2023 but sits at 8-2 in 2024. It also controls its own destiny for the Big 12 title and a likely spot in the College Football Playoff if it can take care of business down the stretch.

It will surely take major numbers from Sanders if the Buffaloes are going to do so, as he and two-way star Travis Hunter have put the team on their backs multiple times this season.

Sanders has completed 72.9 percent of his passes for 3,222 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions while running for four more scores. He has multiple touchdown passes in each of the last eight games all while playing behind some less-than-stellar offensive line play at times.

B/R's NFL Scouting Department projected him as the No. 3 overall pick and first quarterback selected in its latest mock draft earlier this month while highlighting his ball placement and ability to make plays from the pocket.

The spotlight is only going to get brighter for Sanders as Colorado continues to potentially play its way toward a CFP spot, so he can further solidify his spot in the upcoming NFL draft by excelling down the stretch.

Colorado's 2025 recruiting class received a major boost on Thursday, as highly-touted quarterback prospect Julian Lewis made his commitment to the Buffaloes and head coach Deion Sanders live on The Pat McAfee Show.

Lewis is a 4-star prospect and the No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class, per 247Sports' composite. His commitment will mark a significant improvement for Colorado, which had the 78th-ranked class entering Thursday. The Buffaloes' 2025 list of football commits—which is now the 66th-ranked class—now looks like this:

• Julian Lewis, QB
• Chauncey Gooden, IOL
• Adrian Wilson, WR
• Quanell X Farrakhan Jr., WR
• Christian Hudson, DL
• Alex Graham, CB
• Mantrez Walker, LB
• Antonio Branch Jr., S
• Zayne DeSouza, TE
• Corbin Laisure, TE
• Jay Gardenhire, OT

Lewis had originally appeared to be headed to USC, but he reportedly de-committed from the Trojans this past Sunday. He is now the heir apparent to Colorado star quarterback and Coach Prime's son Shedeur Sanders, who will be entering the NFL draft after this season. Following Sanders' impressive two-year stretch with the Buffaloes will be a tall task, but the Carrollton, Georgia native is up for the challenge.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins described Lewis as "an elite distributor of the football with his quick release and advanced mechanics that picked apart defenses in the Peach State's highest classification." The 6'0", 185-pound signal-caller is a bit undersized, but he's skilled enough to make an immediate impact when he begins his collegiate career.

"Overall, projects as a new-age point guard that can push the tempo in a modern spread attack with his pin-point accuracy and savvy decision making," Ivins added. "Smaller stature is not ideal, but has the skills and confidence to win games on Saturdays – and potentially right away."

Lewis' commitment continues a strong year for Colorado, which has an 8-2 record and is ranked No. 16 in both the College Football Playoff Rankings and the AP Top 25. With a 6-1 conference record, the Buffaloes are tied with BYU (9-1, 6-1) for the top spot in the Big 12.

Colorado will look to keep the good vibes going when it returns to action on Saturday against Kansas (4-6, 3-4).

With Shedeur Sanders set to potentially be one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL draft, head coach Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes have their next quarterback of the future.

Signal-caller Julian Lewis committed to Colorado during Thursday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Lewis is a 4-star prospect and the No. 35 overall recruit and No. 6 quarterback in the 2025 class. He was initially committed to USC as part of the 2026 class but eventually reclassified into the 2025 cycle and decommitted from the Trojans.

Collin Ginnan of On3 noted Lewis visited Colorado, Indiana and Auburn multiple times and also visited Georgia this past weekend prior to coming to a decision.

While the late push from the Bulldogs was notable, Sanders was able to land a major win on the recruiting trail.

Colorado's gain is USC's loss, and ESPN's Pete Thamel and Eli Lederman reported his decommitment on Sunday continued a recent pattern for the Trojans. Lincoln Riley's 2025 class has also lost commitments from high-profile recruits in Justus Terry, Isaiah Gibson, Hayden Lowe and cornerback Shamar Arnoux.

Lewis is the latest future difference-maker to leave, and Thamel and Lederman noted he plans on enrolling early in college to begin his career at the next level.

That career will be with the Buffaloes, and he will step into the spotlight at a program that is trending in the right direction. After going 4-8 in Sanders' first season as head coach, Colorado is in the middle of the Big 12 and College Football Playoff races at 8-2. It controls its own destiny into the conference title game with two remaining matchups against Kansas and Oklahoma State.

Lewis is an ideal quarterback to keep building on that momentum, as Andrew Ivins of 247Sports called him "a de facto point guard on the gridiron that can distribute the football like few others."

Ivins highlighted his soft touch on deep throws that helps him make up for the lack of "a true cannon" of an arm. His mobility also helps him pick up yards with his legs and extend plays both inside and outside of the pocket.

That skill set should help him compete for the lead quarterback role at Colorado as early as his freshman season.

A Heisman Trophy campaign isn't at the forefront of Travis Hunter's mind as the Colorado two-way star prepares for the home stretch of the 2024 season.

On the newest episode of his weekly show, Hunter said around the 13:12 mark he's not as focused on winning over his skeptics because he believes the Heisman narratives are set for the most part. The wide receiver/defensive back added he's "not even focused" on the award.

"I just want to win," he said.

Hunter lost some ground in the Heisman race in early October, when a shoulder injury limited his usage in a loss to Kansas State and a win over Arizona. However, he's back to running neck and neck with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward with two games to play in the regular season.

There's no question the junior is aware of that fact. In Colorado's 49-24 win over Utah, he did the Heisman pose after intercepting a pass in the first quarter.

Jeanty is continuing to make a compelling argument for himself on the field, though. He's first in the FBS in rushing yards (1,893) and touchdown runs (26), and he's averaging 7.4 yards per carry.

Boise State is on track to qualify for the College Football Playoff as well. The Broncos are seeded fourth in the CFP bracket for now as one of the four highest-ranked conference leaders.

But Hunter is a singular talent, the type who may not come around again for a long time. You have to go back decades to find another player who impacted both sides of the ball to the degree he is.

Should Colorado win out and challenge for a Big 12 title, Hunter might have the inside track on college football's most coveted award.