Julian Lewis Will Make Colorado a CONTENDER or a Pretender Depending on His Success

Colorado’s hopes for a breakthrough in 2026 rest squarely on quarterback Julian Lewis, a former five-star recruit with sky-high expectations. But is Lewis the player who can ignite Deion Sanders’ regime and take the Buffaloes from bottom-dwellers to Big 12 contenders? Kevin Borba examines Lewis’s path: from a coveted recruit with offers from the country’s biggest programs, to a Buffs QB with a clear shot at the starting job. While national pundits have ranked Lewis outside college football’s elite, Kevin Borba highlights his flashes—like his deep touchdown against Arizona—and scrutinizes his inconsistent accuracy and difficulties under pressure, with passing percentages dipping notably when blitzed. The challenge is clear: development and consistency are imperative, especially given Colorado’s volatile roster overhaul and lack of established identity.  The episode digs deeper into roster construction, with Kevin Borba dissecting the shift away from transfer-heavy recruiting. He spotlights high-profile high school targets, such as Antonio Berry (OT), Travis Norris (OL), and Kam Roberson (DB), emphasizing the push to win tough SEC recruiting battles and build lasting pipelines at power programs like Duncanville and IMG Academy.  On the pro front, Kevin Borba unpacks the Browns’ quarterback room drama: Shador Sanders faces long odds to start Week 1 behind the big contract and pedigree of Deshaun Watson—even as new weapons arrive in Cleveland’s draft haul. Expect politics and paychecks to shape the opening depth chart, but if Watson falters, the door could swing open for Sanders midseason or trigger QB trades. Can Julian Lewis deliver the skill and steadiness to anchor Colorado? Will Coach Prime’s revamped recruiting and development unlock a new era in Boulder—or will inconsistency keep the Buffs mired in mediocrity? All eyes on the quarterback—and all bets off as a new season looms.  Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://cms.megaphone.fm/channel/locked-on-buffs Locked On College Conferences, HBCU, Basketball & More 🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnCollege #Colorado #DeionSanders #ColoradoBuffs #collegefootballcoach  Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans.  Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonbuffs.supercast.com/ Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! Indeed Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get one-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started — Play Your Game. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.