Julian Lewis to Start as Colorado Opens Year 4 at Georgia Tech

Deion Sanders opens his fourth season at Colorado on Thursday night by heading to Atlanta, where the Buffaloes face Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium in an 8 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN. The game marks a notable homecoming on multiple fronts: Sanders himself became a sports icon in Atlanta during the early 1990s as a two-sport star for the Falcons and Braves, while starting quarterback Julian Lewis grew up down the road at Carrollton High School.

Lewis, a redshirt freshman and former five-star recruit ranked No. 50 in the 2025 consensus class by 247Sports, was officially named the Week 1 starter by offensive coordinator Brennan Marion last week. Originally committed to USC, Lewis flipped to Colorado in November 2024 as the designated successor to Shedeur Sanders. He appeared in four games as a true freshman in 2025, making two starts including a 299-yard, two-touchdown performance against West Virginia last November, and was named to the Shawn Alexander Award Watch List ahead of this season.

The stakes are high for Sanders heading into what many are calling a critical year. After a breakthrough 9-4 season in 2024 — Colorado's most wins since 2016 — the program regressed sharply to 3-9 in 2025 following the departures of Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter to the NFL. Starting quarterback Kaidon Salter, who threw seven interceptions that season, has since departed. Sanders enters Thursday with a 16-21 overall record at Colorado, including a 1-8 mark in Big 12 play last season.

Financial Pressure Adds to the Stakes

Sanders is coaching on a five-year, $54 million extension signed after the 2024 season, paying him $10 million in 2026 with three years and $34 million remaining on the deal after this year. Should Colorado opt to fire him before the end of the season, the university would owe Sanders 75 percent of his remaining base salary — a figure of approximately $25.5 million, according to The Denver Post.

Colorado loaded up in the transfer portal during the offseason, adding 43 transfers to the roster including receivers Kam Perry (Miami Ohio), DeAndre Moore Jr. (Texas) and Danny Scudero (San Jose State). The Buffaloes will also rely on returning leading rusher Micah Welch. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, will debut its own transfer quarterback in Alberto Mendoza, who came over from Indiana and is the younger brother of a 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, alongside former Michigan and Alabama running back Justice Haynes. The game can also be streamed live on fubo, DIRECTV and the ESPN app.