JuJu Lewis did not play in Colorado’s 29-7 loss to No. 12 Texas Tech, but coach Deion Sanders denied that the quarterback had been demoted to third string.
Isaac Wilson, who replaced Lewis in the previous game against Baylor, started against the Red Raiders and threw four interceptions in the second half. Backup Kaneal Sweetwyne also entered the game, completing one of two pass attempts for seven yards. After the match, a reporter suggested that the distribution of playing time indicated Lewis was now the third-string quarterback. Sanders rejected that notion, saying, “I would love JuJu to come in here and he tell you what happens. So don’t, ‘you bench JuJu first to third string?’ No that’s not what went down.”
Sanders did not explain why Lewis was left out of the game and Lewis himself was not available for comment after the loss. “It didn’t happen like that,” Sanders said when asked to clarify. The coach also declined to discuss the decision further, stating, “JuJu didn’t play today, my man. So I’m not doing that. I’m not going to badger the kid, I’m not going to say nothing derogatory for the kid, he didn’t play today, Brian, like, come on.”
Lewis committed to Colorado at the end of the 2024 season, a period when the Buffaloes were enjoying success, finishing 9-4 with Shedeur Sanders as one of college football’s most productive quarterbacks and Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy. A five-star recruit and the No. 3 quarterback in his high school class, Lewis was on the sideline for Colorado’s Alamo Bowl loss to BYU before enrolling early.
He played during Colorado’s difficult 2025 season but was sat out at the end of the year to preserve a redshirt under NCAA rules. That move reflected how highly the program regarded him. However, this season, Lewis has been sidelined in favor of Wilson and Sweetwyne. Sanders emphasised that his focus was on the team rather than any individual player. “Hey man, I’m worried about our team and winning, man,” he said when pressed. “You’re trying to single out one kid and you can’t do that man. These kids are pretty darn comfortable and they’re alright.”
Lewis’s performances before being benched included going 11-of-16 for 75 yards in the Baylor game, and 19-of-29 passing for 168 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions in a Week 3 loss to Northwestern. Since Shedeur Sanders’s departure, Colorado has struggled to find consistent quarterback play, rotating among three starters last season. Sanders made his first change of the 2026 season in Week 5, just two weeks after a game where all three quarterbacks saw snaps.
The Buffaloes have also adjusted their offensive system, with offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur relieved of duties midway through 2025 and Brennan Marion brought in for 2026. Colorado averages 21.5 points per game this season, facing upcoming tests against No. 13 Utah and No. 19 Oklahoma State after their Week 6 bye.
For now, the status of JuJu Lewis remains uncertain, with Sanders keeping his explanations vague and the player unavailable for comment following the recent defeat.
According to Yahoo Sports.
