Deion Sanders potential QB1 pick Julian Lewis flexes arm strength before Colorado debut in 2025 season 

Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis made headlines in December when he flipped his longstanding commitment from the USC Trojans to coach Deion Sander's Buffaloes. Lewis is one of the players fighting for the QB1 jersey after the departure of undisputed starter Shedeur Sanders for the NFL via the draft.

Former Liberty Flames star Kaidon Salter is also vying for the starting quarterback position after being acquired from the transfer portal in December. In a clip posted on his X account on Tuesday, Lewis showed off his arm strength with spectacular throws during a training session. He captioned it:

"John 8:32 Faith X Work #TrustGod #KeepWorking," Lewis tweeted.

During a January interview on "WFAA," Kaidon Slater addressed the impending battle between himself and Julian Lewis for the QB1 spot.

“No promises, all competition, and I’m willing to come in and compete,” Salter said. “JuJu, he’s a younger guy of course, so they wanted somebody in the room that can mentor him and help him come into college and feel comfortable. They felt that I was that guy that can do that. (He’s) one of the best quarterbacks in his class. It’s all love over there, and it’ll be a great competition between us.”

When Coach Prime likened Julian Lewis to Shedeur Sanders

Julian Lewis trained with the Colorado Buffaloes before their Alamo Bowl clash against the BYU Cougars and during a news conference before the game, charismatic Colorado coach Deion Sanders likened him to the departing Shedeur Sanders (7:00).

“I think smart coaches at this level understand what has worked for them, and they try their best to replicate that,” Deion Sanders said. “Shedeur’s worked really well for us. He has a wonderful father in his life. Father has always been there. Father just knows the game and a father that’s hands-on. I saw a lot of similarities in the way Julian’s life has been structured, speaking to his father multitude of times, understanding how he came up, what he wants out of life.

"What he wants out of the game, and from the game, and what he gives to the game. The similarities are unbelievable. He’s (Lewis) everything that we desire in a quarterback. He’s smart, he could throw, make, every throw. He has pocket awareness, pocket presence. He is a darn leader, but most of all, he’s a winner. People forget that category when you look at the quarterback. Are they winners?"

Whoever wins Colorado's QB1 battle between Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter will have big shoes to fill, as their predecessor, Shedeur Sanders, is tabbed as the potential No. 1 pick during the 2025 NFL Draft.