‘I Can’t Expect Something Out of You That’s Not In You’ — Deion Sanders Takes Dig at Colorado QB Julian Lewis’ Leadership
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Deion Sanders has never been particularly interested in softening his evaluations of Colorado Buffaloes players. His latest assessment of Julian Lewis followed that pattern, even as Sanders insisted he was not trying to insult his starting quarterback.
Asked Tuesday how much Lewis still needs to grow as a leader, Sanders said the 18-year-old simply is not at the point where Colorado should expect him to command the team that way. Instead, Coach Prime wants his young quarterback focused on playing the position.
Deion Sanders Gets Blunt About Julian Lewis’ Leadership
“I told y’all he’ll be coming around the mountain, so what does that mean?” Sanderssaid Tuesday. “He ain’t there yet.”
Sanders then delivered the line that made his answer stand out.
“I can’t expect something out of you that’s not in you,” Sanders said. “That’s not an insult.”
Sanders explained that he views Lewis primarily as a football player right now rather than one of the people responsible for setting the emotional tone of Colorado’s locker room.
“I don’t expect that,” Sanders said when discussing leadership from Lewis, adding that he looks for it instead from several other players, including members of Colorado’s linebacker and safety groups.
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The comments continue an approach Sanders established before the season. He previously said it would be unfair to demand that an 18-year-old quarterback lead older teammates and emphasized that Lewis’ immediate responsibility was executing the offense.
Lewis nevertheless entered 2026 with substantial expectations. PFN identified him as abreakout candidate after he preserved his redshirt in 2025 and showed flashes during limited action.
Lewis Has Already Experienced Both Extremes in 2026
Three games have provided a pretty good illustration of why Sanders is preaching patience.
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Lewis engineered the late touchdown drive that beat the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Week 1, then delivered a historic performance against the Weber State Wildcats. He completed 17 of 23 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns in that game, setting or tying at least 5 Colorado records.
The Northwestern Wildcats produced the opposite experience. Lewis completed 19 of 29 passes for 168 yards with one touchdown and the first two interceptions of his college career as Colorado was routed 41-7. Through three games, he has completed 50 of 79 passes for 658 yards, six touchdowns, and two interceptions.
Colorado’s broader offensive results have also been uneven. PFN’s latest published College Football Offense Impact assessment gave the Buffaloes a 75.8 grade, ranking No. 61 nationally entering Week 4.
Lewis gets his first Big 12 game of the season Saturday against the Baylor Bears. Sanders is not asking him to become the loudest voice in Colorado’s locker room before then.
Six touchdowns, two wins, and one ugly afternoon into the season, his coach’s message is considerably simpler: play quarterback first. The leadership part can come around the mountain whenever it comes.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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