Lewis did not appear in the Buffaloes' season opener last week against Georgia Tech, but is expected to make his college debut this week. Coach Deion Sanders confirmed the former highly rated recruit is set to play in Week 2 when CU takes on Delaware at Folsom Field after Kaidon Salter got the start in Week 1.
Lewis, who has a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, is already building a strong NIL portfolio at the college level. He's now getting a jolt of caffeine with it, as well, through his deal with Starbucks as the company enters the NIL space. Financial terms were not disclosed.
At $1.1 million, Lewis' On3 NIL Valuation ranks No. 48 in college football. He has built a strong social media following, fueled by more than 200,000 followers on Instagram.
Now, Julian Lewis preparing to make his college football debut on Saturday, though Coach Prime pumped the brakes when asked whether Lewis could start down the road.
That said, Sanders said Week 2's game against Delaware provides a good opportunity for Lewis to take the field for the first time. He wanted to avoid rushing the true freshman and opted to let Salter have the game against Georgia Tech in Week 1.
"You got to understand, I love that kid, man. I really do and I want him to be extremely successful," Sanders said. "Sometimes, you don't want to rush things. Sometimes, you don't want to delay things. You want to make sure the timing is right.
"I didn't think the timing was appropriate last week. I really don't, at the way the game was flowing, the rhythm of the game. But, this week, I made up my mind already before. Now, he's going to play. So, I don't give a darn about the flow or nothing. He's playing."