Colorado's Julian Lewis shares 3-word birthday message for Coach Prime's son Shedeur Sanders

Julian Lewis, a five-star quarterback in the Class of 2025, took to Instagram to celebrate Shedeur Sanders’ birthday on Friday. Sharing a custom graphic featuring himself and the Colorado Buffaloes’ QB, Lewis kept it short and heartfelt, captioning it with three words:

“Happy birthday family!”

Image via Ig@julianlewis10

At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, the highly touted recruit has already racked up impressive stats in his high school career. He’s widely regarded as one of the top young quarterbacks in the nation.

It remains uncertain if Lewis will immediately take the starting job in 2025. Kaidon Salter may be the first to get the nod as QB1 due to his experience while Lewis develops.

Coach Deion Sanders, however, has openly praised Lewis, viewing him as an ideal successor to Shedeur. He sees strong parallels between the two quarterbacks, especially in their upbringing and football mentality.

“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," Sander told On3.

"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.”

Originally committed to USC, Lewis decommitted from USC on November 18 and committed to Colorado just three days later.

Julian Lewis and Kaidon Salter strengthen Colorado’s quarterback future

Colorado’s 2025 recruiting class is shaping up to be a game-changer. Deion Sanders secured 31 additions through a combination of high school signings and transfers, significantly bolstering the roster.

Among the standouts is five-star quarterback Julian Lewis, regarded as one of the nation’s premier passers. He joins an impressive group that includes MaxPreps National Player of the Year Quentin Gibson and top-tier receivers Adrian Wilson and Quandel Farrakhan Jr.

Lewis was a top priority for Sanders, but his father, T.C. Lewis, revealed this week what ultimately convinced them. Speaking with Rivals' Adam Gorney, he said:

“He’s one of the most heavily scrutinized recruits. Deion Sanders valued who Juju was. I think one of the things that drew them to Julian was his ability to perform under pressure.”

While Lewis represents Colorado’s future, the Buffs ensured they had immediate stability by bringing in Kaidon Salter. The former Liberty quarterback, who boasts a 21-4 record over the last two seasons, threw for 1,886 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024.