The Grading The Week crew loves it when a plan starts coming together. Especially when that plan is the Nuggets’ injury-riddled rotation. The return of breakout wing Peyton Watson on top of the return of Mr. Nugget, Aaron Gordon, gave Adelman the jolt an inconsistent campaign needed with the playoffs looming: a 4-0 record from March 20-26, a stretch that featured a home rout of Portland in which the defense actually flashed in the second half; and a 125-123 win at Phoenix this past Tuesday night that Adelman might’ve found a way to lose a few weeks earlier.

More importantly? With a healthy AG, Watson and Spencer Jones back in the rotation, the coaching staff just might have found a salve for the franchise’s eternal “non-Jokic-minutes” quandary. And it’s an old, familiar friend, too — the small, center-less lineup.

Nuggets’ small-ball lineup — A-minus

According to NBA.com tracking data, the Nuggets featured two five-man lineups that played at least seven minutes together from March 19-26 and managed to put up a Net Rating (basically, a points differential per 100 possessions) of plus-7.0 points or better:

• Nikola Jokic-Jamal Murray-Cam Johnson-Christian Braun-Tim Hardaway Jr.: One game, 7 minutes, plus-65.0 Net Rating (158.8-93.8).

• Murray-Bruce Brown-Cam Johnson-Spencer Jones-Tim Hardaway Jr: Three games, 19 minutes, plus-56.0 Net Rating (141.7-85.7).

Now that first grouping, while fun, might be too small a sample size to take to the bank at this point.

But that second one? That looks an awful lot like a “stagger” look that can start the second and/or fourth quarters of playoff games while Jokic rests.

Because it’s been working, time and again. Of the four games spanning March 20-26, the Nuggets “won” every second period. In fact, they outscored the opposition by an average of margin of 34-25.

And the fourth quarter differential wasn’t all that far behind. Denver “won” three of those four fourth stanzas and outscored opponents 29-26, on average, over the final 12 minutes of regulation.

Throw in the fact that the Nuggets put up a plus-9 point differential during their “non-Jokic” minutes on the road against the Suns, and the verdict is clear: Adelman’s not just onto something by going small with his bench. He’s probably already found it.

Jonas Valanciunas’ minutes — C-minus

Of course, one of the problems with the grind of an NBA season is that sometimes, a workable solution leaves a small problem in its wake. Or in the case of center Jonas Valanciunas, a 6-foot-11 problem.

Because that four-game, 4-0 stretch for the Nuggets featured something else that stood out: Big Val didn’t play. At all.

In fact, the backup big, as of Friday afternoon, hadn’t seen the floor for Denver since scoring four points and grabbing three boards over six minutes in a loss at Memphis back on March 18.

Valanciunas has more than proved his worth this season, especially during that month while the Joker was out. It’s clear that some matchups for the 33-year-old veteran are better than others. And two of the worst matchups that the GTW scouts have seen for Big Val this season have come against Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Just saying.

Jordan Seaton, London Merritt join CU dig parade — D

If once (see Staub, Ryan) is a lone-wolf malcontent, then twice and thrice is a pattern of unhappy dawgs. At any rate, add Jordan Seaton and London Merritt to the list for former CU Buffs offering subtle jabs at Deion Sanders’ old coaching staff over the last few days.

“Being here, it just means more,” Seaton, the Buffs’ former star left tackle who’s now at LSU, told reporters. “Being here (in Baton Rouge) is different, from how we train to how we work. When it comes to work, that’s what this place is about.

“(This program) was just a lot better than where I was, facility-wise, coaching-wise,” “(I) feel like it was just a better option for me.”

Yes, the money to transfer out of Boulder was a big thing. But it clearly wasn’t the only thing.

Has it really come to this? That we have to pray for Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to get a second chance as an NFL head coach?

The cycle got thrown for a loop with the firing of John Harbaugh. But even as the Super Bowl-winning coach finalizes a deal with the New York Giants, eight vacancies remain. And you are telling me that Joseph, with the resume he has put together over the past three seasons, is not deserving of one?

Hogwash.

Joseph has shown himself more than capable after creating a brotherhood of bullies with the Broncos defense. The group ranks first in sacks (68), yards per play (4.6) and red zone touchdown percentage (42.6), and third in points per game (18.3). He blends humility with knowledge, and his refusal to point fingers inspires devotion from players. Just throw on the film and watch how hard guys run to the ball, and execute their assignments.

Joseph has talked in some capacity with nearly every team that has an opening. The knee-jerk response is that he was horrible in his first chance. The record said as much. He only lasted two seasons with the Broncos, compiling an 11-21 record. He was drinking out of a firehose and not allowed to hire his staff, leaving many to backstab or undermine him.

He has the seven-year itch. He is ready after padding his resume in Arizona and Denver since 2018.

Yet, his candidacy does not seem to be taken seriously in a league where offensive minds are valued more by owners.

Baltimore is the best job, and the idea of Joseph fixing the Ravens’ defense with Davis Webb calling plays for Lamar Jackson is tantalizing. Same goes for the Titans, and possibly the Raiders, depending on your view of Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza as the No. 1 overall draft pick.

Joseph fits in a lot of places, especially if he brings Webb with him. He is not getting his due. Or the respect he deserves. In the end, Arizona could be the landing spot. Ownership appreciated his work as the defensive coordinator under Kliff Kingsbury and how he held things together behind the scenes. He would likely be given three years to get the Cardinals back on track.

Patience helps. But not as much as a quarterback. He would have to mend fences with Kyler Murray, or eat dead money and find a different answer.

Joseph deserves another opportunity. And if he does not land a job in this cycle, there is no defense of that.

Iron Mike: Mike Tomlin’s resignation sent seismic shockwaves through the NFL. I’ve written multiple times in this spot that this was likely his last year with the Steelers. He did not feel appreciated, but the truth is, he hadn’t won a playoff game since the 2016 season. He is a culture builder, a leader. He will benefit from a year off in broadcasting and return fresh with a new perspective on offense.

Seaton leaving: is not a surprise. Despite what CU fanboys scream, Seaton regressed last season, missed multiple games with an injury and did not put on good game tape against Utah. To regain his first-round status, Seaton needs better coaching. And, obviously, more money. But that has led to a potential odd destination. Mississippi State? Sure, the Bulldogs can pay him, but they are an SEC also-ran. Would he really choose his old CU line boss and current Bulldogs coach Phil Loadholt over a powerhouse? That seems like a miscalculation.

Receiver in the backfield: Even before Saturday’s anticipated chill and windy weather, it was obvious the Broncos need to run to win. The Bills’ rush defense stinks. As much as I want Jaleel McLaughlin to carry the load, Marvin Mims Jr. represents a secret playmaker. When the Bills crack, they become the San Andreas Fault. They have allowed more long touchdown runs than anyone. This is where Mims in the backfield could go off. One 35-yard burst could change the game. Sean Payton will write “Run It” on his playsheet. Now, do us all a favor and do it. ]]> 7396463 2026-01-16T15:24:55+00:00 2026-01-16T15:26:39+00:00 /2026/01/13/jordan-seaton-deion-sanders-cu-buffs-football-transfer/ Tue, 13 Jan 2026 19:56:04 +0000 /?p=7392261

Jordan Seaton wasn’t liked at CU. He was beloved. this past November.

On Tuesday morning, those hearts were broken.

College football is so, so, so, soooo broken right now.

Seaton, the biggest Buff in terms of sheer size (330 pounds) and importance (22 starts at left tackle), announced late Monday that he was entering the transfer portal.

“I never imagined this journey would come to a close in this way,” “but I am deeply grateful for every moment that led me here.”

A fresh start might be good for Seaton — and for his NFL draft stock. It’s not a good look for CU. Or for Deion Sanders, who treated the young man like one of his own.

. Seaton, a 5-star recruit and the No. 1 offensive line prospect in his prep class, announced his commitment on Fox Sports 1 in December 2023. He was a game-changer. A momentum-driver. A core piece.

He immediately ran with Shedeur Sanders like a bigger baby brother, then protected Shedeur’s blind side during the greatest single passing season in Buffs history. He was a captain in the making. An icon on the climb.

And now he’s … gone?

“Financially, it’s going to be good (for Seaton), I’ve got to believe,” , told me Tuesday. “It’s too bad for the Buffaloes. They’re losing a guy they would have liked to have kept.”

Let’s be clear: This was mostly about the bag. Had to be. Nobody announces a portal transfer a few days before the window closes on Friday unless another party swooped in with some serious cash.

But if Coach Prime can’t keep Seaton around, who can he keep? They’ve even been repped by the same agency, for pity’s sake. The tackle as of Tuesday was listed as one of

Monday’s announcement might have been just about business. But after the last two seasons, it felt more than a little personal, too.

And speaking of personal, the same CU faithful who called Seaton the next Penei Sewell 18 months ago . That the Buffs are better off.

Whether players are coming or going, the spin never ends.

Cooper told me he did feel that Seaton hit a wall late last season, even while the latter was apparently playing hurt. Other scouting services agreed — after netting a 67.2 overall grade (out of 100) from Pro Football Focus as a true freshman in 2024, Seaton’s overall mark dipped to 65.8 in 2025, with his run blocking grade (52.0 grade) dropping significantly from the year before (62.0). Although came away more impressed with last fall’s tape, noting that Seaton committed fewer penalties (four) and allowed fewer QB pressures (seven) in ’25 compared to what he’d charted while watching the kid’s 2024 film (14 penalties, 27 pressures).

“I think he’s got some work to do,” Cooper stressed. “He’s got definite upside. I think as (2025) progressed … his pass protection was pretty solid until the end of the year. He took a dip there. His run-blocking has never been that great.”

Once you take off your Blenders shades, it’s clear that coaching was a factor here, too.

Seaton, who’s entering his junior season, wants to throw his hat into the 2027 NFL Draft. Cooper says he’d give the kid a second-round grade based on his sophomore season. That’s not going to cut it.

“He’s got an NFL body,” Syvertsen said. “He’s got the goods. He’s tall. He’s long. He holds his weight exceptionally well. He’s got outstanding body control.”

Seaton’s also got one season to put better stuff on film for the real money at the next level. If you’re a CU fan, shouldn’t it concern you that he’d rather do it somewhere else?

Sanders has had three different sets of offensive line coach configurations in BoCo since 2023. Seaton has seen four different position coaches, technically, since early 2024. Phil Loadholt, now at Mississippi State, gave way to the trio of Gunnar White (offensive run game coordinator/offensive line), George Hegamin (assistant coach/offensive line) and ex-Buffs great Andre Gurode (assistant coach/offensive line) before last season.

“From the outside looking in, it just seems like the coaching staff is consistently bringing in new people, new faces, new celebrities,” Syvertsen continued. “It doesn’t feel like this coaching staff is there to truly develop guys.”

Was it the system? Haven’t heard a bad word about high-tempo Go-Go system, other than you’d better be in good shape and willing to run — hard — for it to fly.

Was it the culture? Seaton was supposed to be a pillar of the Coach Prime revival, the kind of guy you could build a program around. For the last 10 days, CU has been swapping big names and in and out like it’s 2023 all over again. But if you made a list of five guys the Buffs needed to keep around, ideally, Seaton would land at No. 1. Or No. 2.

Instead, he’s leaving another crack in the foundation. Leaving more questions. And leaving one very large, uncomfortable query in particular: Who’s going to have Julian Lewis’ back now?

There aren’t a lot of big men in the college free-agent pool left who can do what Seaton does when he’s healthy. The dude’s a snowplow with nimble feet and a mean streak. He’s the kind of blocker who becomes a cult legend, the kind of tackle a fun coach feel good about throwing the ball to in the end zone. The next eight on the list were already spoken for.

Some in Buffs Nation will tell you this week that Seaton’s no big loss. They’re fooling themselves. Tennessee wanted him. Alabama wanted him. Florida wanted him. Ohio State wanted him. Georgia. Miami. Michigan. Oregon. Penn State. USC, too. Will the last Louis turn out the lights?

Deion Sanders sports a 43-26 record as a college football coach. He went 36-14 with son Shedeur, Cleveland’s biggest cult hero since Drew Carey, as his QB1.

From Jackson State to CU, they always had each other’s backs. They almost always found a way. If you had to win one college football game to determine the fate of the free world, I’d put 2024 Shedeur with 2024 Deion on the headset against just about anybody. So long as they also had 2024 Travis Hunter to throw to.

But set them apart, as they’ve been for much of this odd, disjointed autumn, and neither looks quite the same.

Shedeur is finally getting a deserved shot to become the 4,077th quarterback since 1999 to try and save the Browns from themselves. Yet meanwhile, up in BoCo, Coach Prime is heading into a tussle with Kansas State (5-6) on Saturday with a 7-12 mark as a collegiate coach in games in which his son isn’t his starting signal-caller.

After a 42-17 home setback to Arizona State last weekend dropped the Buffs to 3-8 overall and 1-7 in Big 12 play, the elder Sanders now owns a 3-9 record in CU contests started by non-Shedeur QBs.

“You could be a loser, or a guy who lost games,” Coach Prime said. “I would rather be a guy who lost games than a loser. (Because) I’m not a loser.”

He’s not. Yet without Shedeur, Dad Sanders hasn’t exactly been tearing it up, either.

The third anniversary of Sanders’ introductory news conference at CU falls a week from Thanksgiving. Coach Prime has proven a ton of people wrong over the last 1,200 days or so, this person included.

He’s proven he could make CU a national brand again. He’s proven he could fill Folsom Field on the regular. He’s proven he could get the Buffs on ESPN’s “A block” and on the cover of national magazines. He’s proven he could bring a Heisman Trophy back to Boulder. He’s proven that you can chase a league title with a team rooted in transfers, so long as you land the right blend.

Still, in Year 3, the jury remains out on a ton of talking points. After going from four wins to nine wins to three or four again, we don’t know if The Prime Method is remotely sustainable at this level. Every former NFL or collegiate offensive lineman I’ve ever talked to likes CU left tackle Jordan Seaton and despises the fact that Seaton has to play with four new partners every summer. And, more to the point, we still don’t know if Sanders can win big as a college coach without his son acting as his eyes and ears between the hashmarks, as his point guard, as his literal coach on the floor.

On that final front, Julian Lewis is going to tell us an awful lot.

Lewis’ true freshman season, as you heard, officially ended Tuesday. Sanders announced that he was redshirting his teenage quarterback, who’d started the last two games for the Buffs and who’d already appeared in two others.

Under NCAA rules, players who appear in four or fewer regular-season games can count that shortened season as a redshirt year and still have four more seasons of eligibility in the bank.

“That’s my decision,” the Buffs coach explained. “I want what’s best for the kid, what’s best for his family, what’s best for this wonderful university that has given me this tremendous opportunity.

“I think (the decision) is best for everyone. But mainly, it’s great for him.”

Sanders did the young man a solid, granting him another year he could spend developing in BoCo — or anywhere else Lewis wants to go, given the state of the transfer portal.

Ju Ju’s come a long way from that skinny kid we saw running for his life during the spring game. He’s still skinny. He’s still a kid. But those routes to wideout Omarion Miller looked downright telepathic at times. The more reps he got, the more he flashed.

And that upward trajectory can’t be understated. If he’s true to his word about staying a Buff, Lewis becomes the test case, the one who’s going to show us if another QB can develop as quickly — and as soundly — as Shedeur did under his father.

If once was genetics, twice is a pattern. The kind of pattern you can rebuild a program around.

“You’ve competed in every arena,” Coach Prime was told Tuesday during his midweek regular-season news conference. “You don’t have much left to prove, personally, I don’t think …”

“That’s not true,” Sanders interjected.

He’s yet to prove that there’s another level here. That his CU teams can close. That all that CFP talk isn’t just … talk. That the Buffs’ peak moments, that those peak feelings — think Baylor, 2024 — can be maintained and not veer, like a roller-coaster ride, up and down the standings from year to year. That CU can be consistent at something other than being remarkably inconsistent. That there’s life after Shedeur. Life and a passing game.

Sanders is most comfortable following what he knows best — NFL standards, NFL schemes, NFL mantras, NFL coaches, NFL lineage. To his credit, he’s adapted. He’s rebounded.

But the Big 12 and the No Fun League have this much in common: In either case, you’ll soar only as high as your coach and QB, in tandem, can take you. That’s something Buffs fans have been learning the hard way. One cruel week at a time.

Deion Sanders triumphs over criticism. His players do not.

The clock is ticking on Prime Time. Not on his employment. But on the need to make significant changes in how he does business.

As his underwhelming third season draws to a close, the evaluation of Sanders must focus on the skeleton, the details, the foundation. 

It is no longer about praising him for TV ratings, . It is no longer about crediting him for sellout crowds when the fans, save for a pocket of bare-chested T-shirt twirlers, exited at halftime during the last home game. It is no longer about the student applications he brings in when the university has provided $54.9 million — $27.45 million each year — in direct institutional support in 2023 and ’24, according to its NCAA financial reports.

It is about the modern staples of college football: retention, recruitment, coaching and winning.

The Buffs are trailing, if not failing, in these areas, which is unacceptable when Sanders is making $10 million per season.

CU spent on Sanders, recognizing that relevance was tied to him. But as the novelty of Coach Prime wears off, the school requires success on the field for this financial risk to pay off.

The product this year has been embarrassing based on Coach Prime’s own boasts. The Buffs were knocked out of the bowl eligibility with two games remaining.

This is why there is much at stake this offseason.

“You got the right man,” Sanders said this week. “I promise you do. Just give me an opportunity and a little more time, and I am gonna prove that to you.”

The Buffs have been so bad, social media posts — not from credible media outlets — popped up about Sanders’ job security. Outgoing athletic director Rick George responded to one, saying, “The seat is not hot. We believe in what is ahead for this program.”

George and the school have no other choice. Sanders’ contract insulates him. Even if the school wanted to fire him, no one is writing a check for roughly $33 million.

The Buffs don’t need him gone; they need him to change.

CU is teetering, and with another dud of a season, the Buffs would be staring at a sinking program and questions about how to pay the bills.

CU is banking again on the belief that Sanders knows best, even if this season has brought that notion into doubt.

Sanders deserves patience, but it must come with renewed purpose and commitment. Deion’s greatest asset at this point is Deion. His personality.

For starters, he must find a way to keep quarterback Julian Lewis, the core building block, and left tackle Jordan Seaton, who needs a rebound season to restore his draft stock.

And then get them help.

Want to beef up the roster? It is time Sanders begins leaving campus to recruit, using his charisma to make up the difference when other schools offer more money. If Bill Belichick can go to a home, there is no reason Sanders should be absolved from this duty, health willing.

Speaking of Belichick, he serves as a cautionary tale on the dangers of hiring a flashy name without the right infrastructure. Sanders, like Belichick, has leaned on the Friends & Family plan when it comes to coaching and support staff, which totals 57 people, including Sanders’ personal bodyguard, per USA Today.

A bachelor of mathematics is not required to recognize the lack of return on investment.

According to 247Sports, CU’s current 2026 recruiting class ranks roughly No. 78 nationally and last in the Big 12. Sanders needs to replace celebrity coaches — not Marshall Faulk, who has improved the running backs — with grinders who are comfortable texting, talking, driving and flying in their spare time.

And Sanders must improve in the transfer portal. He shifted the paradigm of college football three years ago by overhauling his roster. Now, everyone is doing it. And often better than him.

Sanders admitted in a pregame interview on TNT with Champ Bailey that he “missed” on multiple players. No names were mentioned, but quarterback Kaidon Salter (benched multiple times) and defensive lineman Jehiem Otis (eight tackles) are the obvious suspects.

This goes back to the point of Sanders recruiting in person, getting to know the players better. Watching the effort against Utah and Arizona suggested a deeper-seated issue with culture, with too many players looking like mercenaries.

This is not a program brimming with NFL talent that can overcome “me over we” guys.

Better coaching is required, starting with Sanders. For all of the complaints about Belichick, he still receives high marks as a teacher. Sanders does not get such praise, and his clock management remains a mess.

It is obvious Sanders has to bring in a new offensive coordinator to replace Pat Shurmur, who was privately demoted earlier this month. And the case can be made to move on from defensive boss Robert Livingston, though his system will work with upgraded talent.

If both are axed, that would mean Sanders enters his fourth season with new coordinators for the third time. That type of turnover makes it hard to land good young coaches. And Sanders has not proven easy to work for (running off Sean Lewis to San Diego State was a mistake).

Coach Prime must nail these hires by making it clear he is at CU for the long haul.

Was bringing in Sanders the right decision? Of course. He brought the program back to life.

Was giving him a $54 million extension the right move? That is becoming a matter of debate.

The attention is waning. The perception is changing. Another lost season without change would definitely feel like a downhill nudge of a boulder in Boulder.

And passed.

And passed.

But who was he auditioning for?

After throwing for two scores in a 29-22 loss at West Virginia on Saturday, the bag men are going to be sniffing around Ju Ju’s inner circle, trying to coax a promising young slinger into the portal.

“I think you (could) tell how bad we wanted this one,” the crown jewel of the Buffs’ 2025 recruiting class said of his first collegiate start. “So this is going to hurt on the way home, of course. But just recoup, re-gather and get ready for the next week.”

Tough day. Tougher kid. Morgantown threw everything at Lewis but The Buffs’ freshman quarterback got shoved. Jostled. Trampled. At one point, a West Virginia defender even reached over and ripped off a clump of the young man’s hair.

One quarter in, Lewis looked his age. He completed three throws on eight attempts. He had already been sacked twice. And the Buffs trailed 9-0. He wound up nailing 19 of his next 27 attempts and finishing with 299 passing yards on the day, each drive a little more comfortable than the last.

After the game Lewis nipped his afternoon straight in the bud.

“I mean, we knew they were going to send pressure,” he said. “Freshman quarterback, all that stuff. I had to get the ball out faster. O-line did all they could, protected up front, gave me some time back there.”

At 3-7, let’s call this Buffs season what it probably always was from the jump: A rebuilding one. Deion Sanders needed to turn the calendar — and give Ju Ju the keys — weeks ago, in hindsight.

But right now, Coach Prime needs to ask Lewis three questions:

What do you want?

Who do you want?

What has to happen for you to stay?

The Buffs (1-6 Big 12) need to craft CU’s offense to fit Lewis, not the other way around.

Give him a vote on personnel. Give him a vote on recruits. Give him a vote on his coordinator.

If it’s for Pat Shurmur, ask him to take a deep breath and vote again.

Dadgum it, there’s something there. Saturday was no masterpiece, whether you go by the eye test or analytics. Ju Ju looked past open receivers. He looked ready to turtle whenever the Mountaineers sent the house. He took seven sacks.

But he also looked like Shedeur Sanders out there at times, didn’t he? Especially when dropping ball after ball in the bucket for wide receiver Omarion Miller.

For the first time in what feels like forever, we saw snippets of last fall’s aerial attack. We saw the deep ball and the vertical passing game that scared the Big 12 half to death.

2024: Shedeur to Travis Hunter.

2025: Ju Ju to Omarion.

The chemistry was undeniable. The combo was almost unguardable: Miller finished with six catches for 131 yards and a score.

“Definitely (felt it),” Lewis said of the connection. “Same thing with Joseph (Williams) and Sincere (Brown) and all those guys out there. Just those extra reps after practice are so important. … It took a minute for the offense to get going. But when it got going, it felt like the expectation was there. It was moving.”

Sure was. Especially in the second quarter, when the freshman completed 8 of 10 throws for 123 yards and got the Buffs off the mat.

Lewis didn’t just look like someone the Buffs like playing with. He looked who might be able to lure other players, at other places, into the party.

“You can see he’s going to be special,” Coach Prime said.

“(He) played outstanding out there,” West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said.

And yes, some context applies here, too. West Virginia’s defense headed into the weekend ranked last in the Big 12 in opponent passer rating (160.25) and 14th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (270.8). It was a little like debuting a rookie hitter against the 2025 Rockies at Coors Field — a soft landing, a chance to build numbers and confidence.

Still, you could see that confidence growing in real time.

On the CU drive that ended the third quarter and opened the fourth, the freshman faced second-and-7 from the West Virginia 20. He felt the pocket constrict to his left and his right. It was the kind of bang-bang play that would’ve been a sure-fire sack earlier in the game, never mind earlier in the season. Lewis stepped up and took off for a 3-yard gain, giving CU a third-and-4 at the home 17. The Buffs eventually got a 35-yard field goal out of the deal, pulling to within 22-19 with 14:51 left in the tilt.

Some of the seven sacks could be attributed to two new blockers on the outside, as left tackle Jordan Seaton watched the game in sweats while wearing a boot on his right ankle.

“I mean, guys stepped up this week that didn’t expect to play,” Lewis said. “So I’m just grateful that they did their thing. I’ve just got to do better next time.”

Sanders said earlier this week that his decision to start Lewis at quarterback was guided by “common sense.” Coach Prime should’ve listened to his common sense sooner.

While senior Kaidon Salter offered zero juice and minimal downfield danger at QB1, Lewis walked into coal country and didn’t just talk the part. He looked it.

“I’m not going home or anything like that,” the freshman promised after the game. “I’m going to sit in the facility, watch the (film), try to grow, get better, try to keep all the receivers back (on the practice field) so we can keep building that connection. And get ready for next year.”

After the Utah and Arizona debacles, CU faithful have been looking for a reason to stay invested. Ju Ju was worth the wait. But only if you can figure out a way to keep him.

This Buffs team was supposed to be Deion Sanders’ proof of concept. Only the proof caved in. The concept is 3-6.

CU needs dudes. Elite dudes. Scary dudes. Dudes gifted enough and clever enough to plaster over the cracks left by Sanders’ coaching staff.

The 2024 Buffs had the greatest two-way athlete in modern football history; an All-American quarterback; four future NFL wide receivers; a future NFL pass-rusher; and a future NFL safety.

The 2025 Buffs have flesh wounds.  CU football has gone from stars to scars.

“There’s still something to the fact that the guys that (CU) lost last year were special,” Mike Golic Jr., who’ll call the Buffs-West Virginia game Saturday in Morgantown, told me this week. “Those were major losses, two of the most important (talents) in college football (in 2024). It was never going to be 1-for-1 (replacement).”

Coach Prime said upon his December 2022 arrival that he was bringing “Louis Vuitton” luggage to CU — talent that would render the incumbents irrelevant.

Sanders still has some guys. They’re just young. Sophomore Jordan Seaton a quick-twitch blocker who can fire or fall back, with the feet and leverage to pull and plow guys in space.

But a left tackle can only do so much. No one on the CU roster filled Travis Hunter’s four shoes. Or Shedeur Sanders’ big two.

A year ago, the Buffs boasted the No. 1 passing offense in the Big 12. It’s 14th in 2025. CU ranked second only to BYU in takeaways last fall. Nine games into 2025, the Buffs are tied for 15th.

Which goes back to the concept, doesn’t it? Or rather, the softer parts of its underbelly. One, Coach Prime’s teams fly only as high as their quarterbacks can soar. Two, elite offensive lines can’t be patchwork jobs, can’t be microwaved and can’t have 80-90% turnover every year. Three, when you lean on free agents, you’re spinning the roulette wheel on chemistry and cohesion. Why am I listening to some guy who just got here?

Rosters with a spine of locker room leaders don’t let teams hang half a hundred on them. Squads with a backbone of player-to-player accountability sure as heck don’t let it happen in back-to-back games.

“When you have teams that are going through a little bit of a slide, and you’ve lost four of your last five, you’re looking for answers and searching for answers,” Golic said. “Right now, we’ve seen the shuffling at quarterback. If there really was a change at play-caller as well, it really shows that this team is searching for an identity this late in the season. Which is really difficult when the calendar turns to November.”

No pressure, Julian Lewis, but you’ll point the way. The floor is yours.

So is the ceiling.

Lewis, the four-star true freshman quarterback out of Georgia, is slated to make his first collegiate start at Milan Puskar Stadium, . Can he keep the chains moving? Can he spot danger and escape from it? Can he consistently hit the deep ball? Can he rally a wounded roster on the road?

More to the point, can he put enough juice on national TV to make some wideout or lineman, somewhere else, perk up and say, “I want to play with that guy.”

Coach Prime is the greatest salesman in the sport right now. But you know who Sanders’ not-so-secret weapons were when it came to building last fall’s 9-4 roster? His sons.

Guys wanted to catch balls from Shedeur, the best pure passer CU has ever produced. They wanted to see if they could run with Hunter. Nobody pitches your program, especially to their peers, the way your players do.

Deion has switched play-callers at least three times in 34 games at the helm. He’s changed blockers the way Avs coach Jared Bednar changes lines. The Buffs under Sanders put up a 12-10 record in Hunter’s 22 collegiate starts.

They’re 4-8 without Travis.

Sean Lewis? Pat Shurmur? Bret Bartolone? CU’s offense goes as its Jimmies and its Joes.

The Buffs earlier this week landed a commitment for 2027 from Alex Ward, a 4-star burner out of IMG Academy in Florida. Ju Ju could use four more of him.

“There’s no substitute for having the perspective of knowing you’re going to be the guy and all the reps that come with that,” Golic said of Lewis. “To have the opportunity to be the guy, even for just a couple of games, will pay dividends later on.”

If you can’t save the present, salvage the future. The Buffs need more Louis to get where Deion expects them to go. And a lot less baggage.

With 1:55 left in a seven-point game, CU faced a third-and-16 at its 29-yard line. You give the ball back to Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht, and anything could happen. Georgia Tech proved that. So did BYU.

Buffs coach Deion Sanders and Pat Shurmur, his offensive coordinator and play-caller, didn’t give the Cyclones that chance.

CU QB Kaidon Salter dropped back and found wide receiver Joseph “JoJo” Williams streaking open over the middle of the field. The Buffs quarterback nailed Williams in stride for a 38-yard gain to the Iowa State 33. And that was that.

“Had to go get it,” Sanders said of the decision, and the catch, that helped his Buffs knock off No. 22 Iowa State, 24-17, to improve to 3-4 overall, 1-3 in Big 12 play. “Yeah. We had to go get it.”

Gutsy call. Confident throw. A trust fall straight into the arms of a giddy student section at Folsom Field.

It was Salter’s 16th completion of the day. A day that began with the undergrads chanting for his replacement, freshman QB Julian Lewis, somehow ended with those same students looking to carry him off the field.

“I feel like that����ap one of my best attributes — playing the next play,” Salter reflected after throwing for 255 yards and two scores. “I can go out there and do some bull (crud) like last game (at TCU) and play the next play.”

In this game, short memories tend to have longer shelf lives. Salter threw three picks in Fort Worth. Instead of dwelling, he kept swinging. The Buffs’ frustrating 2025 has life again. Life and a postseason purpose.

“This team right here, we never quit,” Salter said. “We have a team full of dawgs that just don’t quit.”

The Buffs go as Salter goes, for better or for worse. As a roster, CU isn’t just better than its 3-4 record. It’s tougher.

Give Coach Prime 11 Tawfiq Byards, and you can start printing College Football Playoff tickets. Byard, a sophomore safety, played much of the second half Saturday with one of his mitts taped after re-aggravating a broken hand. On a third-and-goal 90 seconds into the fourth quarter, the CU defensive back leapt high to pluck a Becht pass out of the air with one good hand, returning it 18 yards the other way.

“Came back, gotta finish,” Byard reflected. “(Becht) threw the ball right to me. I made a play.”

There would be more. With 7:15 left, the Buffs were nursing a 21-17 lead. Cyclones coach Matt Campbell faced a fourth-and-1 at his own 18. He went for it, only for Iowa State tailback Abu Sama III to run headlong into a wall of Buffs. CU pushed the corn-fed pile backward, taking over on downs.

“I love my defense,” Salter said. “They fight. They fight real hard.”

Salter finally started landing some haymakers himself after halftime.

On CU’s second play of the second half, No. 3 dropped back on second-and-7 and lofted a rainbow to a wide-open Omarion Miller, who walked into the end zone from 70 yards out to give the hosts a 13-10 lead before the extra point.

Trailing 17-14 with 9:17 left in the third stanza, Salter went to work again after a Cyclones penalty and a 30-kick return gave him a short field. The Buffs senior completed four out of five throws, scrambled for a 13-yard pickup, and converted two third downs, capping a 52-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Williams in the back of the end zone.

It was a surreal end to a game that started with something of a Halloween vibe, in that it felt as if it was played almost entirely in CU’s coffin corner. The Buffs’ first three possessions started at their own 5, their own 13, and their own 10.

On third-and-5 from his own 25 with 10:55 left in the second quarter, Salter whiffed on an open Zach Atkins. On the Buffs’ next possession, he misfired on a throwback screen to the right that was off from the jump, even though it had a phalanx of linemen waiting to form a convoy.

Shurmur went into turtle mode awfully early after that big fourth-down stop gifted his offense the ball at the Cyclones’ 18. The Buffs ran it three times, taking only 1:54 off the clock rather than going for the final nail, letting Alejandro Mata kick a 29-yard chippie for a 24-17 cushion.

Turns out that was enough.

More than enough to start the party, anyway.

“PLEASE CLEAR THE FIELD,” the public address announcer begged the students as they raced onto the artificial turf. “PLEASE CLEAR THE FIELD.”

They ignored him.

“THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION,” the voice continued.

“Streets are different when you win,” Sanders cracked as he left his news conference.

Trust is a two-way street. And the Buffs dance into the bye with a season that’s on the road to somewhere again.

Lots of them, actually. If we’ve learned anything about CU recruiting in the Deion Sanders Era, it’s that if Coach Prime wants someone — like, really, really, really wants them — he gets them.

Left tackle Jordan Seaton? Got him.

Cornerback Cormani McClain? Got him. (Best not look at the young man’s . Seriously. Don’t.)

Quarterback Julian Lewis? Got him, too.

Keeping him? Well …

At 2-4, 0-3 in Big 12 play, CU football is staring at a crisis/inflection point right now. No. 22 Iowa State (5-1) rolls into town for a Saturday matinee, and a trip to Utah (4-1), which is back to running the ball at will again, looms after that.

Meanwhile, Coach Prime’s health concerns are mounting. And the Buffs have played three QBs in six games because, as the old adage goes, they don’t really have one. Not one who can sling it consistently at a Big 12 level, at any rate.

After Kaidon Salter just tossed three interceptions at TCU, Ju Ju is the people’s choice again.

Build for the future!

The season’s already lost!

What’s the difference between 4-8 and 2-10?

If we don’t play Ju Ju this fall, we’ll lose him to the transfer portal! And that would be a tragedy!

Would it, though?

I mean, in terms of Lewis’ value in the open market, you’re absolutely right. Big Ten and SEC football programs, even bad ones, have more money right now than they know what to do with. The Buffs, as with many of their Big 12 peers, have to pick and choose their bidding wars.

Although CU also, at the moment, They’ve got five out to signal-callers in the Class of ’27, and four in the Class of ’28.

Recruiting, at its core, is about salesmanship. Nobody sells — themselves, their school, a product, the future — the way Coach Prime sells. Charmers are charmers for life.

Ask yourself this, too: If Lewis is that hot, why hasn’t he beaten out the two guys who’ve been driving you crazy?

You’ve watched Salter for five games. You’ve watched backup Ryan Staub for two.

As Coach Prime points out, he sees what you saw.

Yet when asked about Ju Ju’s progress on Tuesday, Sanders said this, and bluntly:

“He’s coming around the mountain when he comes.”

We kid, we kid. But the hesitation, given precedent, is more than curious, isn’t it?

After all, Coach Prime has made a point of playing freshmen who earned his trust early. Seaton. Micah Welch. Omarion Miller. Dre’Lon Miller.

Lewis, though?

Not so much. Not yet, anyway.

“I mean, he’s young, and you can’t throw everything at him,” Sanders explained after playing Lewis for two rocky series vs. Delaware last month. “So you don’t want to do that. You don’t want him to feel like he failed.

“So you’ve got to proceed with — some guys want you to just throw him in there, and I’m too protective. I mean, I love the kid and I want the kid to be successful, so we’re very protective on what we do with him and what we can do with him and really how we call things with him. We want him to be in a situation to excel.”

Again, he sees what you see. He sees a young man who only turned 18 two-and-a-half weeks ago. And it doesn’t take much reading between the lines to see a QB who isn’t quite ready yet.

Although …

“I’ve never sat on the bench and said, ‘Whoa, I learned a lot today.'”

That quote also came from Sanders, . He’d said that while explaining why son Shedeur didn’t want to be drafted by Baltimore and become All-Pro QB Lamar Jackson’s understudy

“Who learns sitting on the bench?” Coach Prime continued. “Who does that?”

Meanwhile, in BoCo, Lewis is … sitting on the bench.

Ju Ju sure as heck didn’t come here for that. He didn’t blow off his senior year of high school to watch the Buffs fold in the second half, week after week.

“Ju Ju was in there with a lot of rookies and freshmen, so to speak,” offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said after the Delaware game. “And we believe in playing freshmen.”

Just not this one, apparently.

Still, the Buffs have a bye week coming up after the Cyclones visit. If there’s ever a time to change horses, that’s probably it.

Welch, the CU Buffs’ mercurial tailback, screwed up. He knew it. Salter knew it. The sophomore had fumbled at the end of a 44-yard run late in the third quarter. An absolute dagger.

Kaidon Salter could’ve brought out the hammer. Young No. 29 looked on his way to scoring in a 28-13 game that would’ve put Wyoming away — only for the rock to get punched out and roll all the way to the Cowboys’ 1-yard line.

Good teams finish the drive. Good backs finish the run. Welch had to be kicking himself. Salter walked over to the kid and tried to offer some comfort. Encouragement. Constructive dialogue.

Remember what Deion Sanders said last week about wanting “leadership” from his starting quarterback?

“That’s the guy that we wanted to see and that we’re seeing,” Coach Prime said of Salter, the transfer from Liberty who threw for three touchdowns and ran for another in a 37-20 win over the Cowboys. “And I’m glad you get an opportunity to see him at his best. He hasn’t reached that potential yet, but he’s getting more and more comfortable with everything.”

It’s his team. It’s his time. The QB1 debate in BoCo shouldn’t really be a debate anymore. In hindsight, it probably never should’ve become a debate in the first place.

Yet on this point, Coach Prime is absolutely right: Someone had to take the reins of the Buffs offensively. Someone had to be the loudest voice in the huddle. Someone had to tell uncomfortable truths. Someone had to be the guy where the buck stops. Especially if left tackle Jordan Seaton needs time to heal up.

After Texas Tech and Iowa State, the Big 12 looks like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to get. At 2-2, the Buffs are … fine. Flawed as heck, but probably fine.

Mobile quarterbacks will still chew CU’s defensive front seven up, something Wyoming figured out far too late. They’re prone to fading in the fourth quarter. That the Buffs played nine different wideouts on their opening series of the evening might speak as much about desperation as depth.

You hope health finds Seaton, who watched the second half in sweats on the sideline. That it finds guard Zy Crisler. And Simeon Price, the Buffs’ most productive back in short-yardage situations.

But the question about the safest bet at quarterback, after a fortnight of revolving doors, finally has an answer. On and off the field.

“Once I knew that I wasn’t going (in at Houston) last week, I just had to try to be the best version of me for the team and make sure that things got done,” said Salter, who threw for 304 yards, ran for 86 more, and got sacked just once. “Whether it was giving the defense looks at practice or just in their style of helping them out as a veteran quarterback that I am. But this week, once (Sanders) told me that I was going to get the start, I just had to take full advantage of it and make sure that I continue to be the starter.”

The book said Salter couldn’t complete passes on the run. No. 3 rolled right and hit Sincere Brown on the fly for an early score. The book said he didn’t have the arm strength to take advantage of CU’s receiving corps the way Shedeur Sanders used to. Salter connected with Omarion Miller for a 29-yard TD, Joseph Williams for a score from 47 yards out (between two defenders) and the aforementioned 68-yarder to Brown.

“Just put it in their area,” Salter said, “and I know that I can trust my receivers to come down with it.”

Those windows, though, are about to narrow. BYU (Sept. 27), TCU (Oct. 4) and Iowa State (Oct. 11) aren’t Wyoming (2-2). The Pokes are salty, yes. They’re also, by Big 12 standards, a step slow. The Buffs ran for 193 yards. Utah rumbled for 311 on this bunch the weekend prior.

While the Buffs are still looking for an identity, Wyoming’s already got one: A silk purse defense carrying a sow ear’s offense.

Former CU offensive coordinator Jay Johnson’s best play in the first half was handing off up the middle to Samuel Harris. His second-best was flinging the ball up and hoping for a pass interference call, which the Buffs (and refs) obliged three times on the Cowboys’ first four third-down tries. UW’s idea of complementary football is to drag you into the mud, slow the game down to a slog, and try to win 15-10.

For a time, it appeared as if the Buffs might oblige, as Salter’s initial drive to the game ended without points for the first time in his CU tenure. The Buffs traded punts with the Pokes until the opening drive of the second quarter, when Salter got a nice pocket to work with, reared back, and fired a 29-yard strike in the end zone to Miller that put the hosts up 6-0 before the extra point.

The Pokes know who they are, warts and all. At CU, Salter may have ultimately shown us a taste of what the Buffs can be. Better late than never.