Colorado’s pursuit of in-state 2028 quarterback Theo Lee all started on a random evening in the middle of May.
The Arapahoe High (Centennial, Colo.) standout was competing at a showcase at Pine Creek High, where CU director of recruiting Rashad Rich was in attendance. By night’s end, Rich saw the three-star recruit sling the rock and decided the program needed to see more; he invited Lee to CU’s June camps.
Not being far from Boulder, having gone to games growing up and playing under Arapahoe head coach and former Colorado defensive end Tyler Brayton, Lee was honored.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound QB performed well during the prospects camp, showing off his arm. Then, after leading his team to a 7-on-7 championship on Folsom Field’s turf a few weeks later, scoring on almost every drive, he earned his second Division-I scholarship on June 17, this time from a home-state school.
“I've really enjoyed connecting with the Colorado coaches,” Lee told BuffStampede.com. “I really love the staff, and I really like what they've got going on up in Boulder.”
Along with picking up an offer, Lee and his family toured the campus after the prospects camp, where he said the facilities bettered CU’s Big 12 competitors. The relationships with the staff also furthered.
The rising high school junior established contact with offensive coordinator Brennan Marion and offensive analyst/quarterbacks coach Justin Houlihan. Since doing so, they’ve discussed Marion’s go-go offense, building Lee’s anticipation for the upcoming season.
“I'm excited, just to see how it looks with JuJu [Lewis],” Lee said. “Just see how it looks in the Big 12 at a Power Four level.”
Plus, Lee has had some conversations with head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, leaving Lee feeling good about the state of the program.
“I'd say they obviously want to win. I think they're taking all the right steps, and it's really cool to see that,” Lee said. “Colorado was obviously, growing up, not the best, [but] it had been in the past. Prime has brought a lot of attention back to Colorado, and I love it.”
Of course, other schools are in the mix for Lee. Big 12 opponents – Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State – have contacted him, along with Iowa, Northwestern, Cal, Purdue and in-state rival Colorado State. Kent State is Lee’s other D-I offer.
Yet, while the young prospect could end up anywhere, he has an affinity for the Box State. And he’ll likely be back this fall for many of CU’s home games.
“I'm a homebody, and I kind of always wanted to stay home,” Lee said. “So it's definitely cool to have that offer, and have the opportunity to stay home if that's what ends up happening.”
What Lee brings to the field
While it hasn’t been football or bust for Lee, who holds a 3.5 GPA in the classroom and is interested in fire science, he’s maintained the gridiron gene in his family tree. Lee is the son of former Northern Colorado defensive back Tony Lee, and the nephew of the late three-time Pro Bowl receiver Vincent Jackson; the duo shared the field in Greeley for a season in the early 2000s.
“I kind of looked up to them a lot,” Lee said. “It was kind of always instilled in me since I was a little kid just to love the game of football, and I've always been around it so much.”
As expected, Lee has a love and knowledge of the game that most don’t. And his athletic traits at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds also rank among the best, allowing him to model his game after Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and former Indianapolis QB Andrew Luck.
Naturally, Lee took over Arapaho’s starting quarterback position as a sophomore. He led the Warriors to a 7-5 record in 2025, passing for 2,255 yards and 18 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. He punched in five rushing touchdowns, too.
“There's a lot of quarterbacks out here who run 4.5, 4.4 [40-yard dashes]. I can't do that. I'm not going to break away, score 80-yard running touchdowns,” Lee said. “But what I can do is when you get to the third and fourth progression, I'm going to stay in the pocket, and I think I'm better than anybody else in that circumstance.”
With Lee describing and displaying his game as “pro-style,” he’s looking for a college to suit that. So far, Colorado seems to meet the criteria, discussing how his strengths fit the program’s needs.
“They take a lot of shots, which is definitely a big part of my game,” Lee said. “My deep balls, I'd say second to none. Like in high school football, that's where I thrive. And they take a lot of shots, but they'll get the ball out quick. They got some rollout stuff. I'm really good at throwing on the run, and a lot of two-back stuff. We run a lot of two-back stuff at my school.”
Until Lee decides on a college, however, he has his upperclassmen years to enjoy at Arapaho.
While boasting some talent last year, Lee says his school’s 2028 class is the best of any in the state. With high expectations, the team is holding player-led practices while Lee is encouraging his teammates to get in the weight room.
Individually, Lee is working with quarterback coach TJ Rubley, who played in the NFL and CFL, and with KNGDM Sports Performance. While tightening his mechanics with Rubley, he’s working on everything else at KNGDM; Lee is focusing on building his mobility, but spends hours in the film room and hones his mental side.
“I'm really excited to say the least, and we got some younger dudes who are sophomores who are going to help us out this year,” Lee said. “So just how much can we come together? Because the most connected teams win football games.”
Recruits Mentioned
