"Probably cost $10M to get this QB": Jason Whitlock has eye-catching reaction to Julian Lewis deal as he weighs in on Deion Sanders' future

Five-star quarterback Julian Lewis of Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia, committed to Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes on Thursday. He did so after de-committing from Lincoln Riley and the USC Trojans on Nov. 17.

The commitment ensures that Colorado will have their answer at quarterback following the departure of Shedeur Sanders as he makes his transition to the NFL.

With NIL now a fundamental part of the fabric of college football, it can become expensive to maintain the caliber of roster you want to put on the field. Colorado has utilized Sanders' marketing potential to get on the good side of NIL. Lewis' commitment to the program is an embodiment of that.

But it's not just the players. Maintaining Sanders as coach would likely cost a lot of money, as rumors of him making the change to the NFL continue to escalate. However, analyst Jason Whitlock believes the program is all about winning.

"It probably costs 10 million (dollars) to get this quarterback," Whitlock said on Colorado getting Lewis. "You think they're going to bat an eye in giving up 20 million to keep Deion (Sanders)?"

Setting the Buffs up for long-term success

Julian Lewis' commitment to the Buffaloes is really important for two key reasons. One is that it makes Colorado's journey scouting through the transfer portal much less stressful.

In Sanders' first year as head coach, he was able to maximize the transfer portal beyond just Shedeur and Travis Hunter. Coach Prime essentially reconstructed the makeup of the Buffalo roster from its previous tenure. But in the second year, he didn't have quite as much success after the poor 4-8 record in 2023.

This takes the pressure off Colorado to find their quarterback in the transfer portal and they can immediately begin to develop their long-term, in-house option. The program can also spend more resources on getting transfers in other positions of need.

Two, Lewis' brand will attract other high-level recruits and transfers who want to play with him. Even if Sanders isn't the coach, players will know that Lewis can drive them to strong individual success from a statistical standpoint.

Colorado's next game is tomorrow against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Buffaloes are looking to fight for a spot in the 2024 College Football Playoff, whether that's winning the Big 12 Conference or getting a bid at large.