BOULDER — According to Ben Finnseth, freshman quarterback Julian Lewis “hated” the veteran safety when he first showed up on Colorado’s campus.

Even though he was at that time just a walk-on safety from Durango, Finneseth wasn’t going to let the five-star 17-year-old off easy in his first spring practice period.

“I was on his tail about little things and what it takes,” Finneseth said. “I would give the quarterbacks a depth chart based on their work ethic in the spring, and I put him bottom of the pack about every single day, and that’s really why he hated me. But it got to him.”

When Lewis showed back up in the summer, Finneseth had already seen the necessary changes from Lewis, the player viewed as the future of the Buffaloes’ program.

“I was like, ‘Bro, I’m proud of you,’” Finneseth said he told Lewis. “He was like, ‘You know what? Thank you.’ He appreciated the fact that I was on him the whole time and that I never gave up on him. I gave him his props. I was like, ‘You’ve come a long way, dog.'”

That was in July — before Lewis had played a down of college football.

Now, he’s got four games and a pair of starts under his belt, and even though he won’t be on the field this Saturday (10 a.m. FS1) as CU closes the season at Kansas State because Deion Sanders wants to preserve his redshirt status, Lewis has already backed up why the Buffs were so eager to flip his commitment from USC.

“Honestly, there’s no word to describe how much I’ve grown, in terms of coverages, offenses, and reading blitzes, and things like that,” Lewis said after last week’s game against Arizona State. “In high school, you don’t have to do all that. College guys are doing some different stuff, so (there’s a lot of) new things, and trying to learn and pick up on them, as much as I can.”

And Lewis is eager to continue building in Boulder.

“I’m a Buff through and through,” Lewis said after being directly asked if he’s committed to staying at CU. “I got my crib out here. All my guys are out here. No, I don’t have any reason to go (in the transfer portal).”

In fact, expect Lewis to be at the forefront of the recruiting process this offseason and not just with bringing players in, but also keeping key pieces in place.

“You can’t judge the team based on the outcome of the season,” Lewis said. “So, that’s kind of what I’ve been telling the guys. We have to keep working. A lot of the freshman guys are getting their opportunities right now, and (I’m) just telling them to be prepared and be ready. The portal is the portal. Guys are going to hit it, but you can’t really control that. I’m trying to keep all the guys I can here for next year so we can do what we need to do.”

Lewis knows he can’t do it all alone. 

He needs star left tackle Jordan Seaton, top wide receiver Omarion Miller, tight end Zach Atkins and several others to stick around so the Buffs can have something to build a likely new-look offense around in 2026.

Coach Prime knows that, too. 

Because while Lewis’ commitment to the Buffs is nice, they’re going to need plenty more of those from the young core that’s emerged in recent weeks.

“It’s very valuable. Not only a quarterback, (but) to have at least 35 (players) committed to this program,” Sanders said. “It’s not just a quarterback. A quarterback is very prominent because the quarterback will bill you and kill you quickly, but you need multiple players. Corners, linebackers, a couple guys in the middle, offensive line to protect the quarterback as well, a good (running) back, receivers. You need other pieces as well, but the quarterback is definitely the main piece.”

Even at the end of a disappointing season, CU is grateful to have that main piece going forward.

King’s 5 Games to Watch

No. 15 Michigan vs. No. 1 Ohio State (10 a.m. FOX)

Remember last year? Buckeyes fans were ready to fire coach Ryan Day after a fourth straight loss to the Wolverines, but then, Ohio State went on to win four straight games and the national championship. The Buckeyes still haven’t lost since last year’s meeting with Michigan and are guaranteed a spot in the playoff regardless of what happens this Saturday, but that doesn’t mean Ohio State fans want to endure another loss to their arch rival.

King’s pick: Michigan +9.5

No. 24 Pittsburgh vs. No. 13 Miami (10 a.m. ABC)

Both teams need a win and some help to get to the ACC Championship game, and a conference title is the only way the Panthers can sneak into the playoff. The Hurricanes, however, could still secure an at-large bid regardless of whether or not they make it to Charlotte next week, but they still need a win in the Steel City.

King’s pick: Pittsburgh +7

No. 8 Oklahoma vs. LSU (1:30 p.m. ABC)

The Sooners have no shot of reaching the SEC Championship game, but all they need to do to lock up an at-large playoff berth is take care of business against an LSU team that is solely focused on securing Lane Kiffin as the program’s next head coach. That should be easy, right? Well, with the way the Oklahoma offense has played lately, anything’s possible. 

King’s pick: LSU +10.5

No. 18 Tennessee vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt (1:30 p.m. ESPN)

On the road against their in-state rivals from Knoxville, the Commodores can secure a 10th win on the season, which would be the most in program history, and keep their playoff hopes alive, even if they’d still likely need some help in the form of a loss from a team inside the top 10.

King’s pick: Tennessee -3

Auburn vs. No. 10 Alabama (5:30 p.m. ABC)

There’s nothing the Tigers would love more than to knock off the team from Tuscaloosa and deny the Crimson Tide a spot in the CFP. Oh, and Auburn would secure bowl eligibility with a win, but honestly, that’s secondary this week. The Tigers have looked better since Hugh Freeze’s firing and ‘Bama fans already have their phones ready to call into Paul Finebaum’s show and demand Kalen DeBoer be fired in the event he loses the Iron Bowl. 

King’s pick: Alabama -5.5

King’s YTD picks ATS: 35-30 (1-4 last week)

King’s Top 5 Heisman candidates

1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana

Mendoza got to sit at home last week and arrange travel plans to New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony, but first, he’s hoping to lead the Hoosiers to their first Big Ten championship since 1967.

2. Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M

It was cupcake week in the SEC, and while the Aggies rolled to a 48-3 win over Samford, Reed needed just 10 completions to throw for 120 yards and three touchdowns. The only thing left for him to really make Mendoza sweat for the Heisman is a big performance against arch rival Texas and potentially an SEC title.

3. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish were up 21-0 before the offense even stepped onto the field last week against Syracuse, but that didn’t stop Love from showing once again why he’s the best running back in college football and a likely first-round NFL draft pick. On just eight carries, Love finished with 171 yards and three touchdowns.

4. Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt

Pavia is making the most of his sixth and final season of college football and honestly, he deserves to be a part of the Heisman ceremony for his impact on the game, both on and off the field. He’s got the Commodores still with an outside shot of making the CFP after a big win last week over Kentucky in which he threw for 484 passing yards and five touchdowns.

5. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State

Sayin threw for under 200 yards for the second straight week as the Buckeyes cruised to yet another win, but there’s one thing left for Sayin to do to vault himself back into the top tier of the Heisman discussion and that’s end Ohio State’s losing streak against arch rival Michigan with a big performance along the way.