Deion Sanders confirmed that freshman Julian Lewis will start at quarterback for the Colorado football team against West Virginia, a reset aimed at jump-starting an offense that has sagged to 3-6. The staff’s calculus is straightforward: a cleaner rhythm and fewer negative plays with a timing-based passer, while giving the program valuable reps to evaluate its future down the stretch.
According to On3, Sanders also made a quiet but significant staff move after the 53-7 loss to Utah, demoting offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and removing his play-calling duties.
USA Today’s Brent Schrotenboer reported that tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Brett Bartolone has handled the calls since the Utah game, with Shurmur shifted to quarterbacks coach.
The change didn’t yield immediate results in a 52-17 loss to Arizona, but it aligns with Sanders’ broader course correction. It’s not the first play-caller change of his tenure, either: in 2023, Shurmur was elevated to co-OC to call plays after duties were taken from Sean Lewis, who later left for the San Diego State job.
Shurmur joined CU in 2023 after coordinating the Broncos’ offense (2020–21) and previously serving as head coach for the Giants and Browns, among multiple NFL stops. Ahead of West Virginia, Sanders said starting Lewis is “common sense,” adding the freshman is healthy despite concern about a hand knock last week.
The quarterback switch is also about identity. The Colorado football team has been unable to sustain drives, oscillating between flashes and costly sacks or turnovers. Lewis, a blue-chip signee who flipped from USC, offered late life versus Arizona and profiles as a quicker distributor who can get receivers on schedule.
If Bartolone’s scripts lean into tempo, high-percentage concepts, and protection answers, CU can trim the negative play rate that has haunted them since September.
Colorado’s head coach has kept the heat squarely on himself amid the spiral. After the Arizona defeat, he blocked players from the podium and told critics to come at him, not the roster or coordinators.
He called out penalties and giveaways, but insisted the team hasn’t quit. At 3-6 and 1-5 in the Big 12, the path is narrow, yet a late run remains possible if the Buffaloes pair cleaner situational football with Lewis’ timing and a streamlined call sheet.
