Colorado Buffaloes Football

Julian Lewis, a 5-star quarterback prospect, is planning another visit to Colorado despite verbally committing to USC last year.

Lewis plans to visit on Saturday as Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes take on visiting Cincinnati, his father Tyrone Lewis told ESPN's Eli Lederman.

Currently a high school senior in Carrollton, Georgia, Lewis is second only to five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in ESPN's Class of 2025 rankings.

Lewis reclassified to the class of 2025 in January after verbally committing to USC last August. He is also being recruited by Indiana, per On3's Hunter Shelton.

According to Shelton, Indiana "expected" Lewis to visit last Saturday, although the quarterback did not end up attending the team's 56-7 win over visiting Nebraska.

On3's Steve Wiltfong reported that Shelton could potentially visit the Hoosiers during the team's Nov. 9 home game against Michigan.

Before then, however, Sanders will get a shot at recruiting Lewis in what will be his fourth visit to Colorado, per Nikki Edwards of CU Sports Report.

Lewis shared several posts during his second unofficial visit to Colorado in May.

Headed back 2 B🦬ULDER!!! @CUBuffsFootball @DeionSanders @theyoungcoach @ShedeurSanders pic.twitter.com/i2Wlvs3MgB

— Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) May 21, 2024

Thanks for always caring about what’s best for me @TCarltonLewis @DeionSanders pic.twitter.com/dfg1sBI7XO

— Julian "Ju Ju" Lewis QB (@JulianLewis10) March 23, 2024

Boulder residents have seemed equally excited about the prospect of Sanders' potential flip to Colorado.

During Sanders' first official visit to Colorado in June, local restaurant The Sink offering customers the "Juju's Precision Pass Burger" in honor of the quarterback prospect.

In honor of QB Julian Lewis’s visit, we’ve crafted Juju’s Precision Pass Burger! This double patty cheeseburger with shredded lettuce, red onion, bacon, and A-1 aioli is a game-changer. Stop by The Sink to celebrate!#WeWantJuju #SKOBUFFS
@JuJuLewis10 @DeionSanders @lauralevyCO pic.twitter.com/wSxISDA5Tc

— The Sink (@sinkburger) June 21, 2024

That excitement will only have grown as Sanders looks to lead his high school to their first state title since 1998. Through nine games of his junior season, Sanders has passed for 2,259 yards and 34 touchdowns with Carrollton.

Lewis' visit would be a huge get for Sanders, who is bracing to lose starters including quarterback Shedeur Sanders and wideout/cornerback Travis Hunter to the NFL draft next spring. Should Lewis promise to come to Buffalo, his flip would mark Sanders' first Class of 2025 commitment from a five-star prospect, per 247Sports.

Colorado heads into this weekend with a 5-2 record, including a 2-1 mark at home and a 3-1 record in the Big 12. Although the team's playoff odds took a hit with their Oct. 12 loss to ranked Kansas State, the Buffaloes will hope to improve both their record and their 2025 recruiting class with a win in front of Lewis this weekend.

Colorado and head coach Deion Sanders make sure they catch a prospective recruit's eye when they send an official offer letter.

One such letter is making the rounds on social media. The black and gold-embossed packet features a Louis Vuitton-like pattern on the outside and on the inside highlights the achievements of the program and Sanders:

The Colorado Buffs offer letters are different 😮‍💨🔥🔥🔥
https://t.co/8Vlp9chhrI

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) October 24, 2024

As much as that letter is crafted to stand out, its ultimate effectiveness may be somewhat limited. It's not as though Colorado is the only school with elaborate or creative offer letters.

Blessed to receive my official offer from @GeorgiaFootball in the mail today ! #GoDawgs @DellMcGee @CoachToddMonken @THEHIVEFB pic.twitter.com/wiVAYvR1NP

— Roderick Robinson II (@rodrob204) August 6, 2022

Extremely thankful for my official offer letter from the University of Alabama🐘 roll tide! pic.twitter.com/gjF3jqVRpj

— Mal Waldrep (@WaldrepMal) August 2, 2024

Today we make it official! #OnTheSh19 Scholarship Offer Letters are out. #WorkTheBody pic.twitter.com/62yxpMbzog

— ECU Football (@ECUPiratesFB) August 1, 2018

In general, traditional high school recruiting hasn't been a strength for the Buffs during Sanders' tenure. Colorado was 30th in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2023 but slipped to 95th in 2024. The early returns for 2025 aren't encouraging with the team sitting in 89th with eight commitments so far.

Maybe these letters signal a bigger collective focus from the coaching staff toward recruiting rather than turning over the roster through the transfer portal every season.

If that's the goal for the Buffaloes, their performance on the field is having more of a positive impact than anything else. They're one win away from bowl eligibility and could conceivably make the Big 12 title game. At 3-1 in the conference, Colorado is behind co-leaders BYU and Iowa State by just one game.

Star players want to play for a winner, and Sanders is now building that in Boulder.

Granted, a lot of the top recruits the Buffs offered this year have committed to other schools, so Coach Prie and his staff will have a hard time getting their 2025 class up among the best Power Four schools.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders isn't a fan of his team playing games that kick off late into the night.

Speaking to reporters during his weekly press conference (starts at 9:00 mark), Sanders explained he doesn't "like" late-night kickoff times because it forces the team to alter its routine:

"You gotta change the schedule. You gotta prepare the kids because we practice in the morning, so now we gotta do body adjustments, time adjustments, sleep adjustments for our young men so they can start off fairly quickly. We hadn't started off quick in the night games because that flips our whole schedule. We fared better in day games because that's who we are, but we plan on making adjustments this week to make sure we get the proper sleep, the proper rest, and we're prepared for kickoff."

The time difference is especially jarring for the Buffaloes this season now that they are back in the Big 12 after spending the previous 13 seasons in the Pac-12.

Given the amount of attention that Coach Prime has brought to Colorado, the football program is being put in prime time frequently. Five of the Buffaloes' seven games this season have started at 7:30 p.m. ET or later.

Saturday's game against Cincinnati at Folsom Field will mark the second time in three weeks that Colorado has a 10:15 p.m. ET kickoff. It previously happened on Oct. 12, when Coach Prime's team lost 31-28 to Kansas State.

Colorado is in the Mountain time zone, so it will be an 8:15 p.m. MDT start in the state. But being an athlete also means being a creature of habit and developing a routine to make sure you are at peak condition—or at least close to it—when the game begins.

Sanders did acknowledge he was "appreciative" of his team getting games in the national spotlight because it means people are paying attention, even though it does cause some headaches with preparation throughout the week.

You would never know there were any concerns for Colorado so far this season. Sanders has the team off to a 5-2 start, already surpassing its win total from the entire 2023 campaign.

Colorado can become bowl eligible for the first time since 2020 with one more victory. The team will get a break after Saturday's game with a bye next week before taking on Texas Tech on Nov. 9.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders had an interesting way of describing how his team is motivated by playing road games in hostile environments.

"We liked to be booed and naysayed and hated. It turns us on. It turns us on," Sanders said Tuesday during his weekly press conference (58:00 mark). "It's kind of sexy, matter of fact. That's how I felt when I played. I mean I loved to be on the road and get booed and naysayer and hated on. I think we like being underdogs. ... Underdogs meaning on the road, away from home. But we like that. We like that. We really do."

The 5-2 Buffaloes have won each of their last three road games after losing an away game against Nebraska in the second week of the season. The team most recently cruised past Arizona 34-7, silencing the crowd at Arizona Stadium.

Three out of Colorado's final five games are at home, including Saturday's matchup against Cincinnati. The team will travel to face Texas Tech on Nov. 9 and Kansas on Nov. 23.

With a 3-1 record in Big 12 play, the Buffaloes will need some help if they hope to compete for a conference title, but continuing their success on the road will put them in a position to earn a spot in the championship game if the chips fall their way.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders confirmed two-way star Travis Hunter will play Saturday against Cincinnati.

Sanders said the junior wide receiver/defensive back, who's dealing with a shoulder injury, "will certainly contribute a lot more than a week ago because he's healthier."

Hunter left in the second quarter of Colorado's 31-28 loss to Kansas State on Oct. 12 and didn't return to the game.

In the 34-7 win over Arizona, he also sat out the second half. The Buffs carried a 21-point lead into the locker room at halftime, so they didn't need him much to see out the victory. He finished with two receptions for 17 yards and one tackle.

Travis Hunter will not play the rest of Colorado-Arizona game after reaggravating his injury suffered last week.

Buffs are sitting Hunter as a precautionary reason pic.twitter.com/ybPOyQhiBS

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2024

Saturday should present a tough test for Sanders' squad. Colorado and Cincinnati have identical overall and conference records (5-2, 3-1), and they sit 40th and 41st respectively in the SP+ metric of ESPN's Bill Connelly.

Especially if they have his services for more than one half, Hunter's presence could make a big difference for the Buffs toward getting the win that would make them bowl-eligible for the first time since 2020.

The last two weeks have also caused Hunter's Heisman Trophy campaign to lose some steam. Nobody doubts his talent, but he also needs to have the on-field production to overtake Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who's arguably the favorite right now. Only playing two quarters each week won't help Hunter get there.

Former President of the United States, Barack Obama, made an appearance in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday and hyped up the Arizona Wildcats prior to their game against the 5-2 Colorado Buffaloes.

"I know Colorado got a couple good players, I also know you guys have beaten them twice in a row," Obama told the crowd in Tucson.

Former President Barack Obama said don’t bet against Arizona tomorrow 😂

“I know Colorado got a couple good players, I also know you guys have beaten them twice in a row”

🎥 : @lauralevyCO pic.twitter.com/5kNJgouvoZ

— We Coming 🦬 (@SkoBuffsGoBuffs) October 19, 2024

The Buffs must have heard the former president's remarks and set out to prove him wrong, dominating the Wildcats 34-7 at Arizona Stadium.

In a post-game press conference following their win, Colorado head coach Deion Sanders made sure to express his love for Obama but was glad his team managed to pull off the win.

"President Obama is everything to me. I mean I love him, I admire him, I respect him tremendously," Coach Prime told reporters. "But... I heard what he said. President, I heard what you said man."

Shedeur Sanders went 23 for 33, throwing for 250 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

In addition to his son, Coach Prime emphasized that the Buffs have more than just two good players on their roster.

"We have more than two good players. "But you're here (in Arizona) so you had to support that," Coach Prime said. "President! Come one man. You're my man. I love you, I appreciate you, but come on dog."

Coach Prime responds to Barack Obama’s comments yesterday 😂 https://t.co/Y4ffHTJckT pic.twitter.com/6ZgimfFu8M

— DNVR Buffs (@DNVR_Buffs) October 19, 2024

Colorado will host the Cincinnati Bearcats next Saturday.

Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes rebounded nicely in Week 8.

After losing a heartbreaker to Kansas State in Week 7, Colorado responded by clobbering Arizona 34-7 on the road.

leaving the desert with a W 💪 pic.twitter.com/zZMA9wRPJ1

— Colorado Buffaloes Football (@CUBuffsFootball) October 19, 2024

BUFFS DOMINATE 😤🦬@CUBuffsFootball takes down Arizona and picks up it's 5th win of the season 💪 pic.twitter.com/frTSpnrbiC

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

Coach Prime is feeling good out there 🦬🎉@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/nG1bzCARnV

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

The win advances the Buffaloes to 5-2 on the season, exceeding the program's win total from 2023. It also means that Colorado is one win away from bowl eligibility and still in the hunt for the Big-12 Championship Game.

The Buffaloes did this despite two-way star Travis Hunter sitting after the first half due to precaution after he re-aggravated his shoulder injury from Week 7. He finished the game with two catches for 17 yards.

In his absence, LaJohntay Wester carried the load with eight catches for 127 yards. Will Sheppard had four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown while Drelon Miller had three catches for 18 yards and a touchdown. Isaiah Augustave led the ground game with 14 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was a star for Colorado, going 23-of-32 for 250 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He also added a touchdown on the ground.

What a throw and what a catch 🎯

Review confirms it and Shedeur Sanders finds Will Sheppard for the @CUBuffsFootball TD 🦬 pic.twitter.com/ujrN0yyOCI

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

Shedeur Sanders takes it himself for another @CUBuffsFootball TD! 🔥🦬 pic.twitter.com/DwelECka2C

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

Fans took to social media to praise Sanders and Colorado and project the team's potential down the stretch.

whispers

I may be an idiot but I think Colorado is still gonna play a role in who gets to the Big 12 title game

No Iowa State or BYU on the schedule, and Utah and OK State aren't exactly looking as scary as they did in August. Buffs about to wrap up win #5.

— Matt Brown (@MattBrownEP) October 19, 2024

The TL is always so quiet when Colorado is winning. 🤣🤣

— 8 way or NO WAY😤‼️ (@Therego_Deee) October 19, 2024

Colorado honestly has a decent path to the Big 12 title game.

— SportShorts (@den_shorts) October 19, 2024

https://twitter.com/alex_kirshner/status/1847774499519025458

Colorado leads Arizona on the road 31-7 and if not for several bad snaps, 3 turnovers, and a horrible non-call on pass interference that would have led to another Buffs TD, this game would be 52-7.

Did I mention the Buffs are underdogs in this game? 🤔

— GoBuffs (@GoBuffs3) October 19, 2024

“With the 2nd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Las Vegas Raiders select…. Shedeur Sanders. Quarterback. Colorado.” pic.twitter.com/S07FR3YMUa

— dame 🗿 (@DameDeadAF) October 19, 2024

If Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders could stay one more year at Colorado, they would be a championship level team. They are almost there.

— Cameron Davison (@camerond_126) October 19, 2024

Good Lawd! Shedeur Sanders accuracy and touch is..... LEGENDARY! pic.twitter.com/4v3cQRvLLO

— Coach Gene Clemons (@geneclemons) October 19, 2024

Will Colorado be ranked after this beat down!

— drue christian (@Christiandm53) October 19, 2024

Colorado played good

— TrillaDanYou (@trillaDanyouuu) October 19, 2024

Impressive win by Colorado

— Salty Raider (@SaltyRaider1970) October 19, 2024

Colorado going undefeated rest of the season and will compete for the Big 12 Championship

— Armand Purnell 🫣 (@PhilSama_) October 19, 2024

The Buffaloes are currently 3-1 within the Big-12 and would need some help to reach the Conference Championship. However, Colorado does not have a team that is presently ranked remaining on the schedule and have an excellent resume following the regular season.

The next matchup will come against Cincinnati, who are currently tied with the Buffaloes in the conference standings. That should be an important matchup for reaching the title game, and a performance like Saturday's would help the Buffaloes pass that test.

Travis Hunter's day is done.

Nikki Edwards of CUSportsNation reported that the Colorado Buffaloes two-way star had been declared out for the remainder of the team's matchup against Arizona due to "preventative measures."

Travis Hunter is out the remainder of the game for "preventative measures."

— Nikki Edwards (@nikkiedwardsss) October 19, 2024

Allison Williams of Fox Sports reported that he had a "slight re-aggravation" of his shoulder injury but that the decision was made to "be cautious" with him.

"Travis Hunter will be done for the day... it's more just to be cautious with him with this game the way it is." @AllisonW_Sports with an update after the half on Travis Hunter ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Vt1m7KzjKo

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 19, 2024

Travis Hunter will not play the rest of Colorado-Arizona game after reaggravating his injury suffered last week.

Buffs are sitting Hunter as a precautionary reason pic.twitter.com/ybPOyQhiBS

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 19, 2024

Hunter suffered the shoulder injury during the Buffaloes Week 7 loss to Kansas State. He left in the second quarter of that game but was able to return for the Week 8 matchup against the Wildcats.

Hunter had two catches for 17 yards prior to leaving the contest. Colorado had built a comfortable 28-7 lead when he left and the Wildcats pulled several players from the lineup as well.

Colorado could exceed last season's win total with a victory and move one win closer to bowl eligibility.

While Hunter's presence on both offense and defense could help that effort, the big lead meant that the Buffaloes were able to focus on his health and make sure he is fresh for future matchups.

Saturday's Big 12 Matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Arizona Wildcats will be heavily attended by NFL personnel.

Kirk Herbstreit revealed on ESPN's College GameDay that 20 NFL Scouts and even some general managers would be in attendance to evaluate Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter.

"The matchup of the weekend is Tetairoa McMillan, Travis Hunter," Herbstreit said. "I hear there's 20 NFL scouts, maybe GMs, there just to watch that matchup."

The matchup will pit the 3-3 Wildcats against the 4-2 Buffaloes as the two teams battle for positioning within the Big-12.

Hunter has 49 catches for 587 yards and six touchdowns in 2024 and has 18 total tackles and two interceptions on the defensive side of the ball. He is a reigning All-American and has emerged as a true Heisman Trophy contender due to his significant impact for the Buffaloes.

McMillan is the feature piece on the Wildcats offense and has been prolific as well. He has 42 catches for 742 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.

Hunter leads the nation in catches while McMillan leads in yards. The two have already made quite the case to be high first-round picks, but the head-to-head matchup will give evaluators an excellent opportunity to see exactly how the two stack up in a game setting.

The matchup is set to kick-off at 4 p.m. ET.

Colorado star Travis Hunter believes he should be the Heisman favorite ahead of Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.

Appearing on the Outta Pocket with RGIII podcast (h/t Kaiden Smith of On3.com ), Hunter said "I know I can win it" when asked about the possibility of winning the Heisman.

"I know I can win it, but I don't know who's there," Hunter told Robert Griffin III and his wife Grete. "I mean y'all see Ashton Jeanty, it's not like we haven't seen a running back that's good. We haven't seen a player that plays both ways and I'm gonna keep saying that."

Hunter also made the case for himself to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft because there's no other player in the class who can "do what I do."

Travis Hunter on why he should be the #1 pick in the NFL draft,

“Nobody do what I do. It’s just that simple”@TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/RFZ4z4Jp0X

— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 15, 2024

Jeanty has shot up to the top of most Heisman rankings amid a historic start to the season. The Broncos superstar leads the nation in rushing yards (1,248), yards per carry (9.9), rushing touchdowns (17) and total touchdowns (18).

It took Jeanty just 90 carries to surpass the 1,000-yard mark. His worst game of the season saw him run for 127 yards on 11 carries in a 56-14 win over Portland State.

At his current pace of 208 rushing yards per game, Jeanty is on track to shatter Barry Sanders' single-season FBS record of 2,628 yards and 38 touchdowns set in 1988.

Through six games, Ashton Jeanty is currently on pace to break Barry Sanders' single-season FBS rushing yard record 🤯

Will we have a new record holder by the end of the season?@BroncoSportsFB | @AshtonJeanty2 pic.twitter.com/g3tdXLb3jt

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 13, 2024

Hunter's Heisman chances hit a speed-bump last week when he suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter against Kansas State. He still played 44 total snaps (23 on offense, 21 on defense) before exiting.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders told reporters on Tuesday that Hunter is expected back for this week's showdown with Arizona.

Hunter's ability to stay on the field as both a wide receiver and cornerback has been one of the most remarkable individual performances of the season. He had played a total of 663 snaps (92 percent of Colorado's combined offensive and defensive total) in six games before his shoulder injury.

The production from Hunter as a two-way player has also been extremely impressive. He ranks sixth in the nation in receptions (49), 10th in receiving yards (587), tied for 13th in touchdown receptions (six), along with three pass breakups, two interceptions and one tackle for loss on defense.

As for the draft, Hunter could end up being regarded as the best talent but not necessarily the No. 1 pick because teams selecting that high will typically favor a quarterback.

Things could work in Hunter's favor, though, based on the current standings. The New England Patriots own the top pick if the season ended today. They just used the No. 3 pick this year to add Drake Maye, so getting the most dynamic playmaker in the class to support their young quarterback would be an obvious fit.