JuJu, Isaac or Sweetwyne? Colorado's Quarterback Call for Unbeaten Utah Could Be the Biggest Decision of Coach Prime's Season

By Cam Sutton, RF Sports Radio Colorado Buffaloes voice

Buffs fans, the bye week is almost over, and Colorado still hasn't said who's playing quarterback against the best team on its schedule.

The facts

Here's how we got here. Julian Lewis was benched at halftime of the Week 4 loss at Baylor, per Fanrecap. For the Oct. 3 game against Texas Tech, Deion Sanders started Isaac Wilson, and SI's Buffaloes site reported Lewis was the No. 3 option that day. Colorado led 7-3 at halftime and lost 29-7 after a 26-0 second half, per Newsweek. Wilson went 26-of-44 for 190 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. In four games, Lewis has thrown for 733 yards with six touchdowns, two interceptions and a 47.7 QBR, per Newsweek. Freshman Kaneal Sweetwyne also took a couple of snaps against Texas Tech.

Sanders didn't hide from it. "We got one glaring problem and you guys know what it is," he said after the Texas Tech loss, per SI. "We have to play better at one specific position." He also said, "We have three options there, somebody just has to grab a hold of it and get it done." After the Baylor game he said going to Sweetwyne would be "more of a long-term type of thought process," per Fanrecap. Colorado (2-3) went into the bye on a three-game losing streak.

The opponent makes this harder. Utah is 5-0 and moved up to No. 11 in Sunday's AP poll, per the AP. The Utes have scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games, which Utah says is the longest active streak in the nation.

RF Sports Radio's take (opinion)

My take: start JuJu Lewis, and commit to him for more than a half. Wilson's three interceptions against Texas Tech are the problem in one stat line. You can't beat a team that scores 30 every week by giving it short fields. Lewis hasn't been good, but six touchdowns against two picks says he protects the football, and he has the most upside of the three. Sweetwyne may be the future, but throwing a freshman into his first real start against an unbeaten top-15 team on national TV isn't development. It's a gamble. Colorado's defense has been its best unit. The quarterback's job Saturday is to avoid wrecking that.

My call: Lewis starts, Colorado keeps it within 10, and Utah wins 30-21. A Buffs win would take two things the offense hasn't shown yet: no turnovers and a couple of explosive plays. That's a prediction, not a scoop. Colorado has not announced a starter.

What to watch next

Utah at Colorado kicks off Saturday at 9:15 p.m. Central on ESPN at Folsom Field. Watch for Sanders' comments this week on the competition and who takes the first-team reps. For the scouting report on the Utes, read our scouting report on unbeaten Utah, and stay with the Colorado Football through game week.

Radio question: who would you start against Utah, Lewis, Wilson or Sweetwyne?

Sources: Newsweek — Deion Sanders pushes back over question about Colorado QB decision; SI (Colorado) — Deion Sanders gives defiant explanation of Lewis, Wilson QB battle; Fanrecap — Colorado's biggest bye-week decision could define the rest of 2026; Chicago Sun-Times (AP) — AP Top 25 after Week 7; UtahUtes.com — No. 12 Utah races past Kansas, moves to 5-0.