Colorado Buffaloes offensive coordinator Brennan Marion spoke to reporters after Wednesday's practice, and he revealed what his relationship with Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis currently looks like now that the Buffaloes will be starting quarterback Isaac Wilson again over Lewis.
Brennan Marion on Julian Lewis
Marion alluded to spending some time during the bye week to repair fractured relationships on the team, but the Buffs offensive coordinator made it clear that Lewis was not one of those players.
Moreover, Marion came to the defense of Lewis and explained some of the challenges that the young quarterback faces in the new era of college football, including the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL).
"Yeah, me and Ju never had a fractured relationship, so there wasn't much to repair there. I told Ju that I still believe in him. You know, the part of society that we're in, there's no time for him to have the progression, to go through what you would as a freshman, as a young quarterback," said Marion. "There's not time when you're in a win right now situation, nobody cares about development. Everybody, as soon as you lose the game, it's 'Fire the coaches, change the quarterback.'"
"So, you know, it sucks for the kids that are young and have talent, right? 'Cause he has the talent, and we've seen that he has the talent to be out there," Marion continued. "But he has got to play a spotless game and be perfect and run a guy over on third and one and scream, and do all that. And if he can't do that yet, then it's bench him, replace him, get rid of him. Unfortunately when there's money on the line now, everyone wants instant results."
"And the kid is still 19, so his development process is not over. I told him that I still believe in him. We're still coaching him hard, he's still showing up with a great energy. We talked to his dad, had great conversations, so I'm excited to see where he goes, takes his game when he gets another opportunity. I know he'll be ready to go because he's developing each day."
Julian Lewis' Season Outlook
Through 3.5 games in the 2026 season, Lewis is still Colorado's leading passer with 733 yards despite missing the Buffs' matchup with Texas Tech. Lewis has completed 64.2 percent of his passes, throwing six touchdowns and two interceptions while taking eight sacks.
Lewis led Colorado to wins over Georgia Tech and Weber State, but the Buffaloes only scored seven points in the loss to Northwestern. When the Buffs' offense continued to struggle against Baylor, Colorado's coaching staff turned to Wilson over Lewis for the second half.
On the other hand, Wilson has completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 443 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Colorado coach Deion Sanders confirmed that Wilson would be starting against Utah on Saturday, but Lewis
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