Colorado freshman QB Julian Lewis will play vs. Delaware

Coming off a season-opening loss, Colorado will change things up at quarterback this week, adding a highly touted freshman to the mix.

Julian “JuJu” Lewis will see action on Saturday against visiting Delaware, coach Deion Sanders announced on Tuesday.

“He’s playing this week for sure,” Sanders said. “I know when I’m gonna see him. You just don’t know when you’re gonna see him. I know when we’re gonna see him.”

When pressed further regarding whether Lewis would open the game instead of Kaidon Salter, Sanders replied, “Can we take one thing at a time? I just told you he was playing. Now, you saying he’s starting. Come on, dawg. … He’s playing, all right? He’s playing.”

Sanders added, “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 don’t think the time was appropriate last week. I really don’t, the way the game was flowing, the rhythm of the game.

“But this week, I made up my mind already. Now (Lewis) is going to play. So I don’t give a darn about the flow of nothing. He’s playing.”

Lewis, 17, reclassified his year in high school to join the Buffaloes this season. A five-star prospect out of Carrollton, Ga., Lewis backed off a commitment to Southern California prior to signing with Colorado.

He racked up 11,010 passing yards and threw for 144 touchdowns while getting picked off only 21 times during his three years as Carrollton High’s starter, posting a 39-4 record.

Salter, a transfer from Liberty, went 17-for-28 for 159 yards and a touchdown in his Buffaloes debut, a 27-20 home loss to Georgia Tech on Friday. He also ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.