Five-star prospect Julian Lewis commits to play QB at Colorado

Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Five-star prospect Julian Lewis, one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2025, will play college football at Colorado, he announced Thursday.

Lewis made the announcement on The Pat McAfee Show on ESPN. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound passer from Carrollton, Ga., announced his de-commitment from the University of Southern California just four days ago.

"I'm excited to learn under [offensive coordinator] Pat Shurmur and coach [Deion Sanders]," Lewis said. "I don't think there is a better person to learn how to read defenses and coverages than 'Coach Prime' Deion Sanders."

Lewis is expected to sign with Colorado next month. The star quarterback was the top prospect in the class fo 2026 before he re-classified to the class of 2025. He is expected to eventually replace current Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders, a projected Top 5 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Sanders ranks sixth in the nation with 3,222 passing yards. He is tied for second with 27 passing touchdowns and threw seven interceptions through his first 10 games this season for the Buffaloes, the No. 16 team in the College Football Playoff rankings.

Lewis posted a video Thursday on Instagram that showed Sanders handing him a key, with a voiceover saying it was for access to the "Colorado kingdom."

The Buffaloes' reeled in a series of high-profile transfers and locked down a 2024 recruiting class that featured five-star offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, four-star wide receivers Dre'lon Miller and Kamron Mikell and four-star defensive end Brandon Davis-Swain, among others.

The Buffaloes (8-2) will battle the Kansas Jayhawks (4-6) at 3:30 p.m. EST Saturday at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.