Coach Prime's 5-star recruit makes a huge promise to Shedeur Sanders as he gears up to fill his huge shoes

After two seasons with Colorado, Shedeur Sanders’ time in college football has come to an end. The quarterback left an indelible mark on the Buffaloes during his tenure in Boulder, breaking a host of records in his position and assisting in the program's resurgence.

With Sanders heading to the NFL next year, Julian Lewis is seen as his replacement in Boulder. The five-star prospect flipped his commitment from USC in November and will enrol early at the university in January. He's believed to have a chance of starting as a true freshman.

In a social media post after Shedeur Sanders’ last game for Colorado in the Alamo Bowl against BYU, Julian Lewis acknowledged the giant strides made by Sanders at the program. Lewis promised that he will keep up the good work in Boulder as he takes on the baton.

“You left huge shoes to fill, but I promise to work to level @CUBuffsFootballl even better than I found it,” Lewis wrote. “Forever grateful. #TrustGod, #TrustTheProcess.”

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Shedeur Sanders is confident Colorado will return stronger

Colorado had a disappointing game in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. The Buffaloes were outclassed by conference rivals BYU in an encounter that ended 36-14 in San Antonio, Texas. While it was his last game for the team, Shedeur Sanders is confident about the Buffs’ strong return.

“The reality and all that hasn't kicked in yet," Shedeur said. "We're just focused on what happened out there and how to fix it and go into the offseason and know how to prepare and get back healthy.”

The Buffaloes had a tough time penetrating BYU’s solid defense. When asked about the challenges posed by the Cougar on defense, Sanders shifted the focus to the Colorado offense, placing the blame for the loss on the unit as a whole.

"We started identifying, and we started to get the rhythm, but we just (weren't) connecting overall," Shedeur said. "That's what stopped us overall was ourselves."

Shedeur Sanders concluded the 2024 season with an impressive 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdowns. His leadership was pivotal in guiding Colorado to a 9-4 record, the Buffaloes' most successful season in the last decade.

The Buffaloes missed out on a berth in the Big 12 championship game on tiebreakers, and it also potentially denied them a College Football Playoff appearance. Nonetheless, it was a season performance bigger than offseason projections for the team.