Colorado is protecting quarterback Julian Lewis, whether everyone sees it that way or not. The former five-star quarterback will watch quarterback Isaac Wilson start for a second straight game, and the tension in the atmosphere is that the team has ‘genuinely moved on.’
From what it really looks like, the staff pulled a 19-year-old out of a burning building. Colorado has lost three straight games, the offense ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring, and every bad snap becomes a national talking point. And Boulder is a rough place to learn quarterback right now.
On Wednesday, offensive coordinator Brennan Marion started by killing the rumors about a rift.
“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,” Marion said.
Brennan Marion says the sport has no patience
Marion took aim at the world Lewis is playing in.
“It’s just 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. There’s not time when you’re in a win right now situation,” Marion said.
“Nobody cares about development. Everybody, as soon as you lose the game, it’s fire the coaches, change the quarterback.”
Honestly, he has a point. Lewis threw six touchdowns against two interceptions and completed 64.2 percent of his throws in four appearances, yet the talk around him sounds like he’s a complete flop.
“So it just sucks for the kids that are young and have talent, right? Cause he has the talent, we’ve seen that he has the talent to be out there,” Marion said. “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.”
Isaac Wilson starts, Julian Lewis waits
From the outside, the plan looks pretty straightforward. Wilson is a tough veteran who can absorb hits and bad headlines, while Lewis could be the long-term piece. But nobody has promised that, though.
Coach Deion Sanders sees the talent.
“JuJu’s a little different. I mean, he’s not really running, but he could throw the heck out of the football,” Sanders said.
The benching carries one real risk. A young quarterback who sits too long in a losing season can start to wonder where his future lies, and Colorado cannot afford to lose that belief.
Marion seemed to understand the situation beyond football. He mentioned Lewis’ family.
“I told him that I still believe in him. We’re still coaching him hard. He’s still showing up with great energy. We talked to his dad, had great conversations. And so I’m excited to see where he goes,” Marion said.
Lewis need not reclaim the job now. Rather, he needs to stay ready. Marion believes he will. “I know he’ll be ready to go because he’s still developing each day,” Marion said.
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