"Dude's dropping an absolute dime": CFB analyst raves about Julian Lewis' impressive arm strength

Colorado QB drama is heating up like never before. As Shedeur Sanders leaves for the NFL, Coach Prime now has the challenging task of picking the best suitable replacement for the upcoming season.

Five-star freshman Julian "JuJu" Lewis and Liberty Flames transfer Kaidon Salter are in the mix to secure the spot. According to J.D PicKell of On3, Lewis looks dominant throughout the spring practice.

While analyzing Lewis' tape from recent workouts and intrasquad scrimmages, PicKell mentioned that his arm strength and throwing skills stood out the most. This could work in his favor. Even though he may or may not be the most suitable replacement for Sanders, he is honing his skillsets.

On Thursday's episode of "The Hard Count with J.D. PicKell," he said:

“Julian Lewis is battling for the quarterback job with Kaidon Salter. Colorado put out this clip. Dude's dropping an absolute dime. Notice the slow motion to accentuate the spiral outside shoulders dropping in the basket in front of the safety and the Shedeur celebration. Look at the swag on the guy. Dude, a little glance at the camera one more time for good measure, off the back foot, effortless. Put it in the freaking bucket again. ...

“There's no way to replace the Shedeur Sanders. Spoiler alert, y'all, I don't think you're replacing Sanders. I think you just got to get a quarterback here in place to be able to make the system go. ... Deion Sanders is telling all of us how he feels about this roster with how they're utilizing the portal.” (24:00)

Julian Lewis vs. Kaidon Salter: Who is most likely to land Colorado's QB1 job?

Heading into the 2025 season, Lewis will get more opportunities to showcase his skillsets in live games. He is 17 years old and has almost four years at his disposal where he could grow and develop into a breakout star.

Bringing Salter to Boulder had a purpose, especially when the quarterback is in the fifth and final year of college eligibility.

Even though the QB1 spot is still undecided, Salter could be the most likely pick to secure the role. One of the primary reasons is the exposure he has had over the last four years and his tenure at Liberty.

This could be a platform where he can build his draft stock for 2026 by filling Shedeur Sanders' shoes. Similarly, Lewis will get his opportunity as a backup and potentially start for the team in case of injury concerns.