It seems like there's never a dull moment for the Texas Tech football program of late. Of course, people in Boulder, Colorado might say the same of the Colorado Buffaloes since the arrival of head coach Deion Sanders.
This week, as the Red Raiders prepare for Saturday's Big 12 tilt in Boulder, Sanders and his program are in the midst of a quarterback controversy. That means that Tech head coach Joey McGuire must have his team prepared to face two different types of players at the game's most crucial position.
Last week, in a 23-13 loss at Baylor, the team's second-straight defeat, Sanders benched starting QB Julian Lewis in favor of Isaac Wilson. Lewis, a former 4-star recruit in the class of 2025, was supposed to be the next star QB for Colorado, but he's struggled this season.
In the last two weeks, he's led the offense to just ten total points, including only seven in a 34-point loss at Northwestern. What's more, this season the Buffaloes are averaging a paltry 11.3 points per game against FBS opponents.
Looking for a spark to ignite his offense, Sanders turned to Wilson, the younger brother of current NFL quarterback Zach Wilson (a former BYU star). The transfer from Utah played the second half of last week's game in Waco and completed 12 of 25 passes for 156 yards and a 4th-quarter TD that tied the game at 13.
Now, Sanders is playing it close to the vest as to which QB will get the nod against the Red Raiders on Saturday. Despite the fact that some college football insiders have reported on social media that Wilson will start this weekend, Sanders is not confirming it.
“Some people are running with the narrative that it's already decided,” Sanders said Tuesday. “I think I’m the one that makes that decision. I don’t know where they get that from. They didn’t get it from me."
However, another remark Sanders made has people leaning toward Wilson as the starter.
“I haven’t talked to JuJu,” Sanders said about the decision. “I talked to Isaac."
While all signs point to Wilson as the likely QB1 this week, Texas Tech will have to prepare to see both signal-callers in Boulder. That will make preparation for this week's contest a bit more difficult given the differing styles of each player.
Texas Tech has to prepare for the different games of Wilson and Lewis
This year, Colorado is trying to deploy a new offensive scheme. The up-tempo "Go-Go" system of new Buffaloes O.C. Brennan Marion has yet to catch on in the Big 12.
Last season, while head coach at Sacramento State, Marion guided an offense that averaged 33.8 points per game. In 2024, he was the offensive coordinator at UNLV, where the Rebels put up over 36 points per game. However, he's yet to find that type of success in 2026, and much of that has been due to the struggles of the QB position.
In three games against FBS opponents this season, Lewis has yet to come close to passing for over 200 yards. What's more, his yards per pass attempt in those three games have been an atrocious 5.03.
Lewis is a classic pocket passer despite the fact that he's on the smaller side. He's rushed for -45 yards this year, a total that is largely based on lost yardage due to sacks.
On the other hand, Wilson is more of a dual-threat player. He can extend plays with his legs and even pick up yards on the ground. The junior also likes to improvise and make big plays when things go off script.
This year, Tech has been a bit susceptible to mobile quarterbacks. Houston's Conner Weigman ran for 56 yards and a number of first downs on just 13 carries in Lubbock.
The week prior, Oregon State's Braden Atkinson didn't pick up any rushing yards against Tech, but he killed the Red Raiders with his mobility behind the line of scrimmage, where he often extended plays just long enough to make something big happen downfield with his arm.
This week, could Wilson's mobility create more problems for a Red Raider defense that is far from squared away when trying to limit opposing passing attacks? That's a possibility that Tech had better be ready for.
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