Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter’s $7.3 Million Feats Boost Colorado Buffs’ Appeal to Julian Lewis

Perhaps, no other high school recruit has received as much hype as 5-star Julian Lewis. But needless to say, Colorado is known for their fanbase support and a valuable talent like Lewis is what Colorado clearly needs especially for the 2025 season. So, it’s no surprise that Lewis is receiving so much hype even before his commitment decision. 

The “WeWantJuJu” chant in Colorado had been loud enough to make constant headlines leading up to his official visit. And while his pending decision weighs heavy on the Buffs fans, there are some aspects that no other program can rival Colorado. Will these aspects be able to hold Julian Lewis down in Boulder?

Julian Lewis could benefit from NIL money

It doesn’t necessarily mean that Colorado is going to pay Julian Lewis for his commitment. But according to what Jacob Pauly of Folsom Frenzy Podcast said on the latest YouTube episode on June 24, “CU gives kids so much notoriety and fame and NIL follows after you look at Shedeur, you look at Travis. The NIL money follows because it’s national money. It’s not necessarily money coming out of Boulder but CU’s got a lot going for him.”

If Colorado is known for one thing, it’s NIL. Both Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter made huge amounts in NIL money with $4.6 million and $2.7 million, respectively, which is a combined of $7.3 million. So, if Julian Lewis joins Colorado, he potentially has a great chance at landing NIL deals given his notoriety. And that’s not all Colorado has to offer because he would be getting the support of one of the best fanbases in college football. 

Colorado’s warm welcome for Julian Lewis

After much anticipation, when Julian Lewis finally came to Colorado for his official visit on June 21, he was met with a warm welcome that On3’s Josh Newber described as a “true family event.” According to what Newber stated, Lewis could find other programs with outstanding coaches and players but “not every school has a community behind it, that embraces it the way Boulder embraces the Buffs.” This throws light on Colorado’s unrivaled support system that could lure the 5-star QB to Boulder. 

Another reason why Julian Lewis might stick to Colorado is that Deion Sanders has already declared that he’s not leaving Boulder even if his sons join the NFL in 2025. This gave Newber another highlight as he said, “Coach Prime at Colorado for long haul and JuJu is his guy he wants leading his team moving forward.” The ultimate decision will only be revealed in the next few weeks. Until then, we can only wonder if Colorado did enough to impress Julian Lewis enough to flip from USC.