‘Are You Gonna Be Able To Get Yourself Another Five-Star QB?’ — Former Texas LB Believes Colorado HC Deion Sanders Just Dug Himself a Big Hole
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Colorado’s loss to Northwestern left the Buffaloes with plenty to address, but the biggest discussion moved to what happened after the game. Deion Sanders’ public comments about his freshman quarterback have created a separate concern involving how the program presents itself to future recruits.
That question became even more prominent when former Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho weighed in on what Sanders’ words could mean for Colorado.
Emmanuel Acho Questions Deion Sanders’ Approach to Julian Lewis
Colorado’s 41-7 loss to Northwestern on Sept. 19 exposed problems on both sides of the ball, with three first-half turnovers putting the Buffaloes in an early hole. Freshman quarterback Julian Lewis threw the first two interceptions of his college career, finishing 19-of-29 for 168 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
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Yet Sanders’ comments about Lewis afterward became a bigger talking point because of what they could mean for the quarterback’s development and Colorado’s ability to attract other highly rated prospects.
While discussing Lewis’ progress, Sanders said the freshman still had work to do before reaching the level Colorado expects. “I said he’d be coming right around the mountain when he comes, right? So what does that mean? He’s not there yet. We can’t expect that from a person that’s not who he is,”Sanders said.
Sanders did not place all of the loss on Lewis, however. When reporters questioned the quarterback’s turnovers, the Colorado coach pushed back against putting too much responsibility on a young player.
“How many games has he played in his career?” Sanders said. “Don’t put that much pressure on him. Let’s take it off. That’s going to happen. You didn’t think we were going to go through the durn whole season without a pick, did you? That’s not going to happen.”
The contrasting comments have now become part of a larger discussion about Sanders’ handling of his young quarterback.
On a recent episode of Speakeasy, Acho questioned whether the public criticism could create problems for Colorado when the next group of elite quarterbacks begins making recruiting decisions.
Acho said, “What’s occurring with five-star quarterback Julian Lewis and what Deion said about him today? Are you going to be able to get another five-star quarterback, or is that five-star quarterback gonna go to Oregon? That five-star quarterback gonna go to USC?
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“What’s that five-star quarterback going to say? I need y’all to take a listen to this sound because people have been highly critical about what Deion Sanders said about his five-star, all-everything quarterback earlier today.”
Acho’s point centers on recruiting rather than solely Lewis’ performance. Colorado needs to develop its current quarterback while also convincing future five-star prospects that the program is a place where young players can grow through difficult stretches.
The Northwestern defeat also brought roster consequences. Sanders cited repeated team-wide mistakes and dismissed multiple players from the program because of conduct issues.
As Colorado prepares to move forward after the loss, the way Sanders handles Lewis and communicates about him could remain an important consideration for the program.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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