Julian Lewis is no longer headed to USC. The No. 2 recruit in the 2025 class reportedly is de-committing from Lincoln Riley and the Trojans, opening his services to the rest of the country.
A native of Georgia, Lewis has starred at Carrollton High School, becoming a five-star recruit. He was initially the top recruit in the 2026 class before reclassifying to the 2025 group. He intends to enroll early in college, and would be available to start playing next year.
Lewis was named Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2023, and he was a finalist for the Gatorade national player of the year as well. With his de-commitment, the 17-year-old immediately becomes the best quarterback available for college football programs.
USC didn’t waste time finding his replacement. Instead of Lewis, the program will bring in Husan Longstreet, who was initially committed to Texas A&M.
However, which program will land Lewis? Here are a few of the names already tied to the five-star quarterback.
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Julian Lewis landing spots
Georgia
Could the rich get even richer? Georgia is reportedly one of the teams that Lewis has shown interest in and that’s understandable. Kirby Smart has built a powerhouse program that, while struggling in 2024, is in good shape to contend for the future.
The Bulldogs don’t necessarily need Lewis’ services. While starter Carson Beck is expected to be drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, Georgia has redshirt sophomore Gunnar Stockton and redshirt freshman Jadan Rashada waiting in the wings to compete for the vacancy next year. In addition, Georgia already has commitments from Ryan Montgomery (2025) and Jared Curtis (2026).
With that said, none are viewed as highly as the No. 2 recruit. If Lewis were to commit to Georgia, he undoubtedly would be the favorite to land the starting job.
Colorado
Three years ago, there would have been no shot Colorado would be in the running to land such a highly-touted quarterback recruit. That’s the Deion Sanders effect.
The Buffaloes are going to need a new starter with Shedeur Sanders heading to the NFL after this season. The son of Coach Prime has been the starter in Colorado the last two years, but the senior will be one of the top picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Colorado does not have a clear successor to Sanders. Freshman Ryan Staub would be the de facto option to replace Sanders, but Lewis would certainly surpass Staub if Lewis committed to Colorado. He visited Colorado during the offseason before his initial commitment to USC. The big question with Colorado is how much longer will Deion remain in Boulder?
Indiana
Indiana is another program that Lewis visited during his recruitment process. He was reportedly supposed to visit the program a couple more times during the season, but those sessions were canceled. With Lewis’ services back on the market, could the Hoosiers swoop back into play?
Head coach Curt Cignetti has led Indiana to legitimate contender status for the College Football Playoffs, but the future looks bleak at QB moving forward. Starter Kurtis Rourke will be graduating this spring, and the Hoosiers currently do not have any recruits for the 2025 class. As of now, it appears as though redshirt sophomore Tayven Jackson and redshirt freshmen Tyler Cherry and Alberto Mendoza will be options at quarterback.
Indiana likely would be operating the transfer portal for a quarterback, however, that could change if the program lands Lewis. He would be right in line to get starts for the Hoosiers beginning next season.
