The Colorado Buffaloes saw their hot start to the 2026 campaign come to a screeching halt last weekend when they suffered a 41-7 defeat at the hands of the Northwestern Wildcats, but it’s clear that this is still very much a team on the rise. That is due in large part, of course, to the play of starting quarterback Julian Lewis.
In his first season as Colorado’s starter under center, Lewis’ sky-high potential has been on full display, as he led the Buffaloes to a season-opening upset victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets before dropping 52 points on the Weber State Wildcats. In an exclusive interview with Heavy on Colorado, Lewis opened up on his transition to becoming Colorado’s starter, his relationship with legendary head coach Deion Sanders, and his new partnership with Wonderful Pistachios.
Julian Lewis Gushes Over Deion Sanders
After playing sparingly in 2025, Lewis won Colorado’s starting quarterback job for the 2026 campaign, and the early results have been quite impressive (50/79, 658 YDS, 6 TD, 2 INT). Things obviously didn’t go well against Northwestern, but Lewis has looked in control of the Buffaloes’ offense early on in the season. Lewis cited his preparation behind the scenes as the key to his strong start to the year, but he knows there are several areas of his game that can be improved upon.
“It’s really been preparation and trusting the work I’ve put in,” Lewis told Heavy on Colorado. “I’m getting more comfortable with every game, but I know there’s still a lot I can improve on. My focus is just doing my job, taking care of the football and helping us win.”
Of course, it certainly helps when you have an NFL legend like Sanders helping you in your quest to find your way to the pros, which is exactly the setup Lewis finds himself in. Sanders obviously wasn’t a quarterback during his playing career, but he knows what it takes to be successful on the football field, and it sounds like he’s doing his best to impart as much of his wisdom as possible to Lewis.
“Coach Prime has been great for me,” Lewis revealed. “I’ve learned a lot from him about confidence, preparation, and handling everything that comes with playing at this level. The biggest thing is probably staying focused on who you are and not letting outside noise affect how you approach your work.”
Lewis’ individual play will impact his draft stock over the next few years, but right now, that isn’t his main concern. The top item on Lewis’ to-do list involves winning football games, with the hope being that Colorado is competing for the Big 12 Championship later in the year. “The biggest goal is winning,” Lewis admitted. “We want to keep getting better every week and put ourselves in position to compete for a Big 12 Championship. For me, it’s about doing my part and helping this team win however I can.”
Julian Lewis Discusses New Partnership With Wonderful Pistachios
Lewis has obviously been quite busy on the field for Colorado this season, but he’s been putting in work off the field, too. For current college athletes, that means taking on NIL deals in an effort to begin building their business acumen. With NFL dreams, that is especially important for Lewis, which is why he teamed up with Wonderful Pistachios as part of their new multi-sport NIL roster.
“It was a great opportunity to partner with an established brand like Wonderful Pistachios,” Lewis said. They’ve done a lot of great football partnerships in the past, and I like what they’re doing right now with (Buffalo Bills quarterback) Josh Allen too. Being selected as part of their first NIL class is exciting, and I’m grateful they wanted me involved with this amazing group of athletes. It felt like a good fit for me as a genuine fan of Wonderful Pistachios, and it’s been an awesome professional opportunity.”
As part of its NIL work, Wonderful Pistachios is focusing on a content-based program that will see Lewis and several other high-profile college athletes connect with fans through social content throughout the season. Lewis kickstarted his work with Wonderful Pistachios with a launch post last week, and it sounds like he’s got some big plans lined up for the rest of the year.
“After the initial launch post, there will be three more pieces of content that I’ll be posting during football season, two videos and one image,” Lewis shared. “One of the Reels is going to be an action-style edit that includes me on the field snacking on my favorite Roasted & Salted Wonderful Pistachios and talking about what the phrase ‘don’t hold back’ means to me, since it’s the name of this NIL campaign … I’m looking forward to sharing the rest.”
There’s no doubt that Lewis’ play on the field will be worth keeping tabs on, but the same can also be said for his work with Wonderful Pistachios. On the field, Lewis will look to lead Colorado back into the win column on Saturday, where a tough road matchup against the Baylor Bears awaits. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
Exclusive: Colorado QB Julian Lewis Sheds Light on Deion Sanders Relationship