Colorado implementing virtual reality to fast-track QB Julian Lewis
James CarnesBuffaloes Wire
July 13, 2026, 1:23 p.m. MT
The Colorado Buffaloes are adding a new strategy to quarterback development, and it could matter most for redshirt freshman quarterback Julian Lewis
A.J. Smith, a new assistant on Deion Sanders’ staff, is bringing custom virtual-reality software to Boulder to give Colorado quarterbacks extra mental reps. The system lets players work through coverage looks, play calls and route concepts from a first-person view, something Smith believes can speed up decision-making before the ball is even snapped
That matters for Lewis after his candid comments at Big 12 Media Days, when he said he was not studying defenses as much during Colorado’s 3-9 season. Smith’s goal is to change that by helping Lewis and the rest of the quarterback room digest the offense faster and see more before they ever step on the field
“My whole goal is to move you up a class,” Smith told The Denver Post. “If you’re a freshman, if I can put you in the system and get you 10,000 reps of our plays before you hit the field, I want you to feel more like a sophomore.”
Smith has used similar technology with the St. Louis Battlehawks in the UFL and says it can help players process coverages more quickly by slowing the game down in the headset. For Colorado, the hope is to turn film study into faster reads and better quarterback play
Lewis has shown enough talent to make the idea intriguing. Now the Buffs are betting that a new tool will help him take the next step
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