"I’ve been getting called overrated since I was 7”: Julian Lewis plays underdog while Colorado's QB battle intensifies

Julian Lewis is a five-star quarterback who was signed by the Colorado Buffaloes in November last year. To many, Lewis is the natural successor to Shedeur Sanders, who has left the Buffaloes program to join the NFL.

However, there is competition for this role in the form of Kaidon Salter, who is a lot more experienced than Lewis.

This has raised the idea that Lewis is "overrated" and does not deserve the starting quarterback role. On Tuesday, Lewis spoke to the media about this topic and if he was worried that he had something to prove during his time with the Buffaloes.

"Not particularly, I got more to prove to myself than anybody else … I’ve been getting called overrated since I was 7.”

Lewis comes into the Buffaloes unit as a complete freshman with a lot to prove. He is one of the best quarterbacks in the coming class, and he will want to get a good start to his college career.

He arrives in Boulder after a very strong high school career. He threw for more than 10,000 yards during his time in high school, and this was done without playing his senior year.

If he did, the numbers (and his potential ranking compared to the rest of the county) would be a lot higher than the already high standards he has set.

However, as with any player who had a good high school career, the term "overrated" will be used to describe him when he does anything that is not 100% perfect. This is something that Lewis is apparently used to, and it is likely to have little impact on his mentality and his play style.

Can Julian Lewis win the quarterback battle?

In the same press conference, the Buffaloes also introduced their other new quarterback signing, Kaidon Salter. This has started a quarterback battle within the program, something that is likely to continue until the season begins in August.

When compared to Lewis, Salter is, by far, more experienced. The 2025 season will be his fourth in college football, and he has spent most of his career with the Liberty Flames.

Last season, he threw for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season where the usually flawless Flames struggled. His 2023 season was much better, throwing for 1000 more yards than what he did in 2024 and more than double the touchdowns.

Salter is the biggest threat to Lewis getting the starting quarterback role, and coach Deion Sanders is likely to take his time before making a decision.