College football’s NIL space just got another high-profile addition. Starbucks has signed Colorado freshman quarterback Julian Lewis, making the five-star recruit one of the most visible new faces in both sports and brand marketing.

Lewis, who arrived in Boulder as one of the nation’s top prospects under head coach Deion Sanders, now adds Starbucks to a growing list of major NIL partnerships. For a player just beginning his college career, this move reflects both his on-field potential and his status as one of the most marketable athletes in the country.

The deal highlights how college football players with NIL deals are becoming valuable assets for global brands—and how companies like Starbucks are using NIL to reach younger audiences in authentic ways.

Why They Chose Him

According to the Out2Win Athlete Intelligence Platform, Lewis holds an Out2Win Score of 90, placing him among the top 10 most marketable players in college football. His social media reach is already massive: more than 270K total followers across platforms with a 13.57% engagement rate.

On Instagram alone, Lewis has 205.3K followers and an eye-popping 21.57% engagement rate—numbers that suggest his audience isn’t just watching, they’re highly responsive to his content. Those metrics make him an ideal fit for Starbucks, a brand built on lifestyle, identity, and community.

On the field, Lewis enters his freshman season with expectations sky-high. As a five-star quarterback recruit, he’s poised to take the reins in Boulder and add another chapter to Colorado’s resurgence under Sanders.

Before joining Starbucks, Lewis had already proven his NIL value with deals alongside Taco Bell and DoorDash, positioning himself as a crossover athlete who connects with both sports fans and mainstream audiences.

Starbucks and NIL: A New Flavor of Partnership

By aligning with Lewis, Starbucks is signaling that its NIL strategy goes beyond traditional endorsement deals. The company is looking to engage directly with athletes whose personalities and followings can help broaden its cultural footprint.

This campaign also highlights the impact of name image and likeness on college athletics, where companies traditionally outside of the sports apparel or beverage industries are entering the market in creative ways. Starbucks, known for tapping into culture through seasonal campaigns and social-first activations, is betting that Lewis’s combination of charisma and reach can help expand its influence with Gen Z audiences.

The Bigger Picture

For Lewis, this partnership reinforces his dual identity as both an elite athlete and a growing media presence. For Starbucks, it offers access to a fan base that’s deeply engaged with college football and eager to follow Lewis’s journey under one of the sport’s most high-profile programs.

The deal is also another signal that name image likeness college athletics is no longer about one-off endorsements—it’s about building long-term relationships between brands and athletes. With his early track record of successful campaigns, Lewis is emerging as a model for how young stars can maximize their visibility before even taking their first college snap.