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Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Deion Sanders' QB dilemma: Ex-NFL scout warns against benching Julian Lewis
Photo byfor ONIT Deion Sanders has never backed away from bold decisions, but one of the biggest choices of his Colorado coaching career is staring him down: who will start at quarterback in 2025? With Shedeur Sanders off to the NFL, Coach Prime is now evaluating Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and blue-chip freshman Julian 'JuJu' Lewis. But former Alabama standout and ex-Buffalo Bills scout Gerald 'Smoke' Dixon has a word of caution — one that could shape Colorado's future and keep the Buffs' rebuild on course. Deion Sanders' quarterback decision could shape Colorado Buffaloes ' long-term future Gerald 'Smoke' Dixon knows what success looks like at both the collegiate and professional levels. As a four-year starter at Alabama and a former NFL scout with the Buffalo Bills, Dixon has seen how quickly programs can shift — for better or worse. Now, as Colorado enters its next phase under Deion Sanders, he's weighing in with advice only someone with his experience can give. While speaking on the Ultimate College Football Show by 24/7Sports, Dixon weighed in on Colorado's quarterback competition, which features experienced Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter and highly touted freshman Julian Lewis. His recommendation? A two-quarterback system — but with clear expectations and foresight. Photo byfor ONIT "You can't leave a four-star, talented player like JuJu Lewis on the sideline all season, and you can't play Kaidon all year, just because I think he's gonna get banged up," Dixon explained. "When you have a young guy like JuJu, if you keep him on the sideline for a long time, I only know one place where he's going to end up: the transfer portal." Dixon's comments come as Colorado looks to build on a surprising 9-4 season in 2024, a run that helped vault Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders into the NFL. Yet despite the Buffs' success, protecting the quarterback remains a concern — Shedeur was sacked 42 times last year, and Coach Prime has called on his offensive line to step up in 2025. With high-profile recruits and transfer talent at his disposal, Deion Sanders has the pieces to make Colorado a contender. But as Dixon warns, keeping a young star like Julian Lewis engaged might be just as important as naming a starter. The wrong decision could send the Buffs' future walking. Also Read: Why the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on Shedeur Sanders: Mike Tomlin's shocking draft decision explained
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wisconsin top class of 2026 target receives notable prediction before commitment date
Wisconsin football class of 2026 defensive line target King Liggins will announce his collegiate commitment later today, Wednesday, May 21. Liggins, who received his offer from Luke Fickell's program on June 16, 2024, will decide between the Badgers and Illinois Fighting Illini during 247Sports' Ultimate College Football Show on Wednesday, according to Allen Trieu. Advertisement A product of Chicago Brother Rice in Chicago, Illinois, Liggins is 247Sports' No. 91 defensive lineman and No. 19 prospect from Illinois in the class of 2026. He's received offers from nearly 30 programs scattered throughout the nation, including from Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers and Kansas. Here's Trieu's recruiting profile on the three-star recruit: "Liggins is a coveted prospect because at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, he can play inside and is a little more ready-made than other interior prospects. That body type and the athleticism that goes along with it are typically more rare in the Midwest. So when they come along, these guys tend to be very heavily recruited and that is the case with Liggins. He shows motor and ability to run plays down. He is not just a guy who eats up space, but can also penetrate and make plays. But if needed, he can tie up blockers as well. He has grown steadily from 240 pounds when we first saw him to 265 to 280. We project him getting over 300 pounds and being a true defensive tackle." While Wisconsin is certainly a finalist, On3's recruiting prediction machine considers Illinois a favorite to secure Liggins at 88.2%. Wisconsin, meanwhile, boasts just a 3.0% likelihood to earn a commitment. 247Sports' Illinois expert Jeremy Werner also registered a crystal ball prediction favoring the Illini. As of May 20, Wisconsin's class of 2026 currently features seven commits and ranks No. 43 in the country. A commitment from Liggins would certainly boost that ranking, but only marginally. 247Sports' Ultimate College Football Show begins at 3 p.m. CT. Liggins' commitment is expected between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. CT. Advertisement Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Wisconsin Football King Liggins pre-commitment prediction to Illinois
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Wisconsin top class of 2026 target receives notable prediction before commitment date
Wisconsin top class of 2026 target receives notable prediction before commitment date Wisconsin football class of 2026 defensive line target King Liggins will announce his collegiate commitment later today, Wednesday, May 21. Liggins, who received his offer from Luke Fickell's program on June 16, 2024, will decide between the Badgers and Illinois Fighting Illini during 247Sports' Ultimate College Football Show on Wednesday, according to Allen Trieu. A product of Chicago Brother Rice in Chicago, Illinois, Liggins is 247Sports' No. 91 defensive lineman and No. 19 prospect from Illinois in the class of 2026. He's received offers from nearly 30 programs scattered throughout the nation, including from Iowa, Indiana, Purdue, Rutgers and Kansas. Here's Trieu's recruiting profile on the three-star recruit: "Liggins is a coveted prospect because at 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, he can play inside and is a little more ready-made than other interior prospects. That body type and the athleticism that goes along with it are typically more rare in the Midwest. So when they come along, these guys tend to be very heavily recruited and that is the case with Liggins. He shows motor and ability to run plays down. He is not just a guy who eats up space, but can also penetrate and make plays. But if needed, he can tie up blockers as well. He has grown steadily from 240 pounds when we first saw him to 265 to 280. We project him getting over 300 pounds and being a true defensive tackle." While Wisconsin is certainly a finalist, On3's recruiting prediction machine considers Illinois a favorite to secure Liggins at 88.2%. Wisconsin, meanwhile, boasts just a 3.0% likelihood to earn a commitment. 247Sports' Illinois expert Jeremy Werner also registered a crystal ball prediction favoring the Illini. As of May 20, Wisconsin's class of 2026 currently features seven commits and ranks No. 43 in the country. A commitment from Liggins would certainly boost that ranking, but only marginally. 247Sports' Ultimate College Football Show begins at 3 p.m. CT. Liggins' commitment is expected between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. CT. Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion
